The inhabitants of Sierra Leone

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THE INHABITANTS OF
SIERRA LEONE

R. CLARKE

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XXVII. — Sketches of the Colony of Sierra Leone and its In-
habitants. By RoBBET Clarke, Surgeon, late of Her Ma-
jesty's Colonial Service ; formerly Member of the Executive
and Legislative Councils of the Gold Coast ; Acting Judicial
Assessor ; Corresponding Member of the Ethnological Society,
etc. With pictorial Illustrations, from original drawings by
Mrs. Clarke.

The territory of Sierra Leone was first ceded to England in 1787,
when its affairs were conducted by the African Company. In
1807 the Company was dissolved, and the colony transferred to
the Crown, The peninsula of Sierra Leone is separated from the
mainland by an isthmus of about a mile and a half in breadth.
The estuary of the river Sierra Leone, and the Bunce river, form
its northern and eastern boundaries ; whilst the waters of the
Atlantic wash its southern and western shores. It is traversed
almost in every direction by ranges of rocky and serrated hills,
varying in height from five hundred to two thousand feet above
the level of the sea. Their abutments or spurs, which project
into the sea, or stretch towards it and the river, form excellent
bays, and a succession of land-locked amphitheatres. This moun-
tainous range commences a few miles from Cape Schilling, where
the country is low and swampy. The ravines which intersect
the hills as they approach the sea and the estuary, spread into
valleys of inconsiderable extent. Between Waterloo and Hast-
ings, on the eastern side of the colony, the mountains recede from

E. Clarke— TAe Inhabitants of Sierra Leone. 321

the river for distances varying from half a mile to three miles,
and leave a belt of level ground of about twenty-four miles in
length. Very recently the boundaries of the colony have been
greatly enlarged, the fertile Quiah country and the valuable
Sherboro country being now included under the Sierra Leone
government.

The larger islands which belong to the colony are the Bananas,
Isles de Los, and Bulama. The Bananas, distant about three
miles from Cape Schilling, are valuable as a sanitary station ; and
the Isles de Los, situate about one degree to the northward of
the colony, are important possessions, not only because a flourish-
ing fishery is carried on there chiefly by liberated Africans, but
because of their proximity to the Nunez, Pongos, and other rivers,
where the slave-trade is not altogether forgotten. Bulama, which is
one of the Bijougas at the mouth of the Eio Grande, has been of
late reoccupied. The Bijougas group of islands is inhabited by
a race of negroes called Papels. A strip of land on the Bullom
shore, and nearly opposite Freetown, is also British territory.

On approaching Sierra Leone, the coast for some leagues to
the northward and southward is low and level. But on entering
the bay a very striking contrast is presented by the hills grandly
towering one upon another into lofty mountains. Their forms
apparently advancing and receding, as the huge masses of light
and shade are thrown upon or reflected from them ; the endless
diversity of their peaks and declivities, perpetually clothed with
a variegated and luxuriant foliage ; below, the beautiful and com-
modious bay of Sierra Leone, with the picturesque hamlets of the
liberated Africans peeping here and there upon the hill slopes and
banks of the river, displays a coup d'oeil of grandeur and beauty,
upon which the European, approaching for the first time from
seaward, ga^es with untiring admiration.

To this feeling, as he nears the land, is superadded the effect
produced by the numerous canoes managed by negroes, many of
them nearly naked, passing to or from the Bullom shore, or
voyaging to or from the Gallinas, Mallicourie, Isles de Los, etc.,
laden with cattle, rice, and other produce, or busily engaged in
fishing ; whilst close inshore, boats and other craft, seen engaged
in loading or unloading the several vessels at anchor, enliven
the picture with a scene of incessant activity.

On the hill sides few large trees have been left standing except
palms, and the lofty wild cotton trees ; but the " Sugar Loaf,
the highest mountain in the colony, is wooded to its summit.
The indiscriminate removal of the forest trees has, in my oj)inion,
materially contributed to make the colony more unhealthy than
it otherwise would be, had they been judiciously thinned ; be-
cause trees, it is well known, exercise a most salutary influence

Y

322 R Clarke — The Inhabitants of Sierra Leone.

on the health of the inhabitants of malarious countries, by screen-
ing off and greatly modifying that most subtle poison. Copse-
wood, densely matted by climbing plants and long grass, has
grown up instead, and is in strong contrast to the numerous
patches of cleared land, covered with cassada and other green
crops, which border the jungle in every direction. The soil in
some places is a reddish brown or argillaceous clay ; in others it
is rocky or gravelly, with a large ferruginous intermixture, strewn
with boulders composed of a close grained granite. In several
places the lower grounds are paved with an easily worked cavern-
ous stone, which is used throughout the settlement for building
purposes. Small lumps of magnetic iron ore are largely scattered
about the colony, but no iron veins have yet been discovered.

The year is divided into the dry and rainy seasons, the latter
being ushered in and terminated by tornadoes. The tornados
commence generally from N.E. or E.N.E., shifting round to E.S.E.,
and when they reach S.E. the storm is at its height. The dark
clouds at the commencement of a tornado are massed pile upon
pile, a lurid sulphurous light blazing and flickering at intervals,
while vivid flashes of forked lightning dart across the sky in rapid
succession. The grandeur of this scene, and the awful stillness
of its formation for ten or fifteen minutes previous to its burst-
ing forth, is increased until the whole horizon is one great scene
of gloom, which is gradually lighted up, followed by lightning
and thunder-claps, giving the idea of the crash of brazen clouds,
rather than the sudden shock of aeriform masses. As the fury of
the tempest begins to be experienced, torrents of rattling rain
begin to fall. Prior to this, the storm is at its greatest height,
the thunder loudest, and the lightning most vivid. After the
rain has poured down some minutes, the wind shifts round
by degrees to W.S.W., and the sky becomes as serene as ever.
A rumbling sound is often heard along the earth simul-
taneously with the heavier claps of thunder. The rains com-
mence in May with showery weather, and are at their height in
July and August. It sometimes rains continually for thirty
hours ; but more frequently twelve hours of heavy rain are suc-
ceeded by twenty-four or thirty hours, or even a longer period,
of clear and pleasant weather. The mean fall of rain is 189
inches ; but in the years 1852 and 1853, the amount was re-
spectively 163 and 109 inches. About the middle or end of
December, the Harmattan wind sets in, a haze accompanying it ;
and generally prevails in December, January, and February. It
blows from the N.E., or from the E.N.E., at any hour of the day,
time of the tide, or period of the moon. The eyes, nostrils, lips,
and palate become dry and uneasy ; and when the Harmattan
continues four or five days, the outer cuticle peels off from the

R. Clarke — The Inhabitants of Sierra Leone. 323

hands and face ; and should it prevail longer, other portions of
the skin are similarly affected. It exposes defects in furniture,
and contracts wooden flooring so much, that light is freely ad-
mitted through the seams, and sounds from above and below
may be heard with greater distinctness. The branches of the
orange and lime-trees droop, and the leaves become flaccid and
wither. The grass is scorched to yellowness, and the natives
take this opportunity to set it and the jungle on fire. Water is
rendered deliciously cool — so cold indeed, that in some persons it
causes a momentary aching of the teeth. At this season of the
year, the country has a wintry aspect, and the aridity is so great
that the earth becomes caked, and when walked upon, conveys
the ringing sound so perceptible in clear frosty weather. The
Harmattan winds, so far from being injurious to life, are, in my
opinion, very salubrious, and are much enjoyed by Europeans
who have lived long on the coast ; but persons recently arrived,
on the contrary, find that they cause a dryness of the skin,
and corresponding temporary functional disturbance of the liver.
The thermometer ranges from 84° in the shade to 75°, and the
mean temperature of the year is calculated to be 81° 7' 3".

The city of Freetown, lying in 8° 29' north latitude and 13° 14'
west longitude, stands on a gentle acclivity, and occupies a space
between two and three miles in circumference. It is well laid
out and adapted to the climate, and the beauty of its position is
perhaps unrivalled. The streets are wide, and carpeted over
with a sward of Bahama and other grasses, upon which cattle,
sheep, and goats, quietly graze. The houses occupied by Euro-
peans and wealthy natives, are built of stone, except the piazzas,
which are of wood. They are constructed with an especial view
to as much coolness as possible and, on the whole, are excellent
dwellings. Many of the natives live in frame houses, supported
on stone foundations, roofed with shingles. The huts of the
people are usually built in an enclosure, and have an air of
comfort and neatness about them, which is greatly increased by
being embowered and shaded by the bright green leaves of the
plantain and banana-trees that are generally grown around
them.

The population of Sierra Leone is composed of Europeans,
Maroons and their descendants. Nova Scotia settlers and de-
scendants, liberated Africans and their children (called Creoles),
negroes from the West Indies, and Liberia and Kroomen. The
fluctuating portion of it consists of Soosoos, Tinmanees, Eoulahs,
Serrakoolets, Sulimas, and other strangers, who come to trade.

The clannish sentiment is strongly marked in the negro cha-
racter, and has led the members of the difierent tribes to con-
gregate together in particular parts of Freetown. Hence, quarters

y2

324 R Olaeke — The Inhabitants of Sierra Leone.

of it are known as Settler, Maroon, Kroo, Foulah, and Congo
towns ; and in the rural districts many hamlets are distinguished
by the names of the tribes inhabiting them.

The Mahomedans, Akoos, Mandingoes, &c., reside generally
together in the suburbs of the city, and, except in the way of
business, hold little intercourse with the rest of the people.

In colour, the skin of the different tribes varies through every
shade, from the deepest glossy black to an indifferent black,
coffee, or coppery yellow. The form of the head likewise varies
considerably in different tribes. In the Moco it bulges out over
the parietal protuberances. Differences are also observable in the
features, the negroes from the south coast being usually fuller
lipped, with broader and flatter noses, than those from the north.
Among the Akoos (Yarribeans) and other tribes, the nose is often
well-shaped. In many the eyelid is fringed with long curled-
up eye-lashes, and in a few the iris is of a greenish colour. The
teeth in many of the black people are beautifully white and
finely set, but in a large proportion they are indifferent.
Generally speaking, they soon decay, loosen, and fall out, from
the gums becoming spongy. By some of the tribes, they are
pointed by chipping. In a few persons the hair is reddish, or
tinged of a sandy colour. The hair of the Foulahs, Serrakoolets,
and Mandingoes is longer and less crisp than that of the negroes
in general, and they evidently pride themselves on this cir-
cumstance, because they supplement it by wearing other hair
with their own, to form the plaits, which the Foulahs crop
evenly all round and allow to hang down to the shoulders. The
features of the Sulimas and Serrakoolets are pleasing and intel-
ligent, finely formed but small In the Joloff and Mandingo,
the face is perhaps larger and the nose broader. Amongst the
negroes of Sierra Leone, flat feet, with projecting heels, predo-
minate ; but the exceptions to this rule are numerous. The
majority of the population walk barefooted, and the skin of their
feet is hard and horny : sandals are, therefore, better suited to
them than shoes, and on this account are now worn by all the
soldiers of the West India regiments, because they admit of
greater flexibility and motion than the shoe.

The beard is as scanty in some of the races, as it is abundant
in others. It is carefully dressed by the Mahomedan negroes,
but they shave the upper lip. Newly arrived liberated Africans
often shave the hair in a variety of patterns. Half the side of
the head is sometimes shaved vertically, the other horizontally,
or small tufts are left dotted over it.

Most of the people are middle sized, but many are tall and
well proportioned. The Foulahs, Serrakoolets, Joloffs, and Suli-
mas, are spare, athletic men ; and the Kroomen are remarkably

R Claeke — The Inhabitants of Sierra Leone. 325

strongly built, and on an average are above tbe middle stature.
Many of the young liberated African women and Creole girls are
pretty, gay, and good humoured. They spare no pains to en-
hance their charms, and spend much time and take a great deal
of trouble in dressing their hair. By some it is plaited in braids,
others coax it with the help of oil into little corkscrew curls, or
brush it down as smoothly as its crispness will allow. The Joloff
women are remarkable for their graceful and agreeable manners.
Their tall, commanding persons are enveloped in a wide scarf,
which falls in ample folds round the whole figure, in the style of
the Spanish mantilla. Although an erect and graceful carriage,
with perfect self-possession, characterizes many of the women,
several, nevertheless, are pigeon-toed, as it is termed, and waddle
in walking. Great mobility of the pelvis may be observed, more
especially among the hard-working females, who bear heavy bur-
dens on their heads. It, in fact, appears to sway from side to
side, as if hinged upon the spinal column. This peculiarity is less
noticeable amongst the men. Pleasing manners, soft and winning
ways, with a low voice and musical laugh, may, in strict truth,
be declared to be the heritage of most of the negro vromen.

Dress, in a colony with such a diversity of nationalities, is
widely varied both in form and cost, from the simple loin-cloth
of the Kroomen to the flowing robes of the Mahomedan negroes,
and to the newest style of fashion worn in Europe. Striped or
checked cotton shirts, with jacket and trousers of blue baft or
duck, is the ordinary wear of the men. During the rains, guern-
sey shirts and woollen clothing are much patronized. A straw
or felt hat is worn on the head, which they sometimes paint blue,
green, or white, to make it waterproof. In and about their house,
a country made cloth is much worn. It is about the size of a
sheet, and is thrown gracefully over the left shoulder and under
the right arm. Villagers work their patches of land with no
other covering on than a loin-cloth, but before setting out care-
fully anoint the skin with doneh grease (shea butter). When
walking in the country, or when at work about their huts, the
shirt is frequently taken off and wrapped round the loins, with
the sleeves dangling in front. Occasionally, very poor men may
be seen whose only covering is a small apron spread before them
and tied to the loins.

The liberated African women usually wear a gown of printed
calico or blue baft, petticoat, and jacket ; but many of them only
wear variously coloured cotton country cloths wrapped about
their persons. The petticoat is generally of yellow, red, or orange
coloured stuff, and is displayed to much advantage. They like to
have their arms free, and frequently withdraw them from the
sleeves of the gown. Indeed, the custom of exposing the upper
part of the body is one common alike to matron and maid.

326 R Clarke — The Inhabitants of Sierra Leone.

The Settler, Maroon, and Mulatto girls, and many of the Creoles
(children of the liberated Africans) dress showily, but with much
taste. Shoes are usually worn by these young ladies, but stock-
ings are often dispensed with. Silk umbrellas and parasols are
deemed indispensable ; and, if their circumstances will allow, they
are accompanied by a female attendant, who follows them at a
respectful distance. The headdress is very becoming. A hand-
kerchief of silk or bright coloured cotton is tastefully arranged
about the head, the ends hanging down at the back of the neck,
which they call "pennant". Old Settler and Maroon women
sport men's hats of antiquated shapes over the kerchief ; but this
ugly fashion will most probably die out with them. Women of
all classes wear around the loins a belt of variously coloured
beads, which is never relinquished during life. A single string
or two is put on the infant soon after its birth, and additional
ones are added as it grows up. Few of the native ladies wear
stays, but crinolines are much in vogue.

Young Timmanee, Sherboro,or Soosoo girls, are sometimes paraded
in the streets naked, with the exception of a narrow strip of co-
loured calico, which is passed between the legs, the long ends stream-
ing before and behind. They make these appearances after having
been circumcised ; and they are so paraded to let the men know
that they are marriageable. In their hands they carry long
white wands, and are attended and guarded by an old woman
with tender vigilance.

Gold and silver ornaments are much worn in the ears and
fingers, and necklaces of amber or coral beads adorn their
necks, wrists, and ankles. Bangles of silver are much worn on
the wrists and ankles by the Timmanee women, and some others
who visit the colony ; and many of them wear small bells attached
to the ankles. These tinkling gewgaws are referred to in Isaiah
(iii, 18). Mothers in the colony frequently fasten them round
their babies" ankles, not only as ornaments, but to keep off the
evil eye.

The men also delight in ornaments, wearing silver rings in the
ears and upon the fingers, necklaces of beads being much worn
by the liberated African and Mahomedan part of the population.
Both sexes are fond of perfumes, the dried leaves and powder of
an odoriferous plant smelling like the woodroff, or new-mown
hay, being frequently carried by the women about their persons.

The civilized blacks spare no expense in obtaining the best and
newest style of European dress ; and this love of finery too often
becomes quite a passion amongst the young people, its inordinate
indulgence occasionally leading to pilfering and other dishonest
acts.

The Foulah, Serrakoolet, and other Mahomedan negroes, wear

E. Claeke — The Inhabitants of Sierra Leone. 827

a wide flowing robe of white or blue calico, over a close fitting
vest, with loose hanging sleeves, and ample trousers gathered
round the knee, leaving the legs bare to the feet. On the head a
high peaked cap of scarlet or blue cloth is worn, gaily embroi-
dered. It is sometimes shaped like a mitre. Broad brimmed
hats of cane, with a bristling crown, are frequently worn in the
rains. Akoos and other converts to the Mahomedan creed wear
long wide trousers, and a sleeveless tunic of calico. Amulets
enclosed in small neatly made leather cases are secured to the
cap, hang from the neck, or are attached to the arms, wrists,
below the knee, and to the ankles. There are gris-gris for the
head, eyes, and every part of the body, and they appear to have
much confidence in their conservative influence. In their hands
they generally carry a rosary ; and often walk about armed with
a gun or spear, and when travelling a bow and quiver are
slung across the shoulders, or placed loosely on the top of a long
wicker basket which is carried by an attendant slave. Instead
of a ^un or spear, they sometimes carry a rod about six feet long
and three inches in circumference, shod at one end with a ferule
of iron six inches in length. A knife or cutlass is also slung
from the arm, and completes their means of defence. The Kissy
road and neighbourhood of Fourah Bay, suburbs in the east end
of Freetown, are the places where these followers of the prophet
appear in greatest force ; and this preference may possibly be
explained by a large mosque having been built many years ago
by the Mahomedan Akoos, at a hamlet a short way from the city
in that direction. Groups of these warlike strangers may be ob-
served squatted on mats on the ground conversing, or about the
merchants' stores. In the streets they may occasionally be seen
kneeling upon a mat or skin, praying apparently with much de-
votion, counting their beads, and bowing towards the east. Pro-
fessedly they abstain from intoxicating liquors, but this rule is
relaxed by some of them when it can safely be done without com-
promising their character for sanctity, on the plea of illness, or
its being " good for the stomach".

In travelling to the colony to barter their gold, ivory, wax,
and cattle, for guns, powder, tobacco, and cotton goods, a suffi-
cient number of these intrepid men form themselves into a cara-
van, and select as their leader a man of the greatest experience
amongst themselves, whom they call " Selayti". It is his duty
to collect from each member of the caravan funds wherewith to
purchase provisions on the road, and to meet incidental expenses.
He likewise examines their guns, and sees that they are in good
order and ready for use. Their baggage is small, consisting of
one change of shirt and trousers, and a heavy cotton cloth of
native manufacture to cover with at night, when they sleep on

328 E. Clarke — The hihahitants of Sierra Leone.

mats, their only bed. The gold is well secured to different parts
of their travel-soiled and tattered garments. Sometimes it is
placed in a belt or pouch, which is worn round the waist. Their
weapons consist of a light barrelled fowlingpiece of Belgian ma-
nufacture, and a long knife. In returning home, they have to
contend against the host of petty, independent, greedy chiefs by
which the colony is surrounded, who stop the pathway, and
create every obstacle to interrupt trade, although an annual
tribute equal in value to £300, in Birmingham and Manchester
goods, is paid by the government to obtain their influence and
assistance in facilitating commerce with the interior. When
attacked, as frequently happens, they make the most desperate
resistance in defence of their property, and the robbers can only
succeed by killing and wounding the whole party ; but, unless
the desperadoes are in greater force than the caravan, they will
not attack it.

On reaching Freetown, they open " a palaver", as it is termed,
with some merchant for the disposal of their gold, ivory, and.
wax. The gold is brought down in the form of incomplete
twisted rings, weighing from one drachm to two or three ounces,
and is eagerly competed for by the merchants, who spare no pains
to induce the strangers to trade with them. This is a business
not easily arranged, because, before they decide with whom to
deal, they go round to each store to find what goods are on hand,
their quality, price, etc. After this has been settled to their
satisfaction, they must be housed and fed, and every art is re-
sorted to by them to prolong their stay. A small profit is there-
fore only made on gold, but it is valued by the merchants as a
good remittance. The nominal value of one ounce of gold at
Sierra Leone is £4, but its real value is £S : 12 sterling; goods
being taken in exchange for it. Gold, according to the account
given by these men, is found in very great purity in a country
called Beireh, about two hundred and twenty miles north-east
from Tombo, in Foota Jallon.

The broad-chested, muscular Kroomen, located in Freetown,
are controlled by headmen elected by themselves. These men
receive from the g(tvernment a monthly allowance, and are held
responsible to it for any disturbance that may occur among them.
They are constantly employed by the squadron stationed on the
coast ; and on board ship the headman is rated as a petty officer.
These headmen have generally twenty men under them. This
connexion is not compulsory, but rather for the purpose of pro-
tection. For thefts or other misdemeanours they may commit
on board ship, they are flogged by the headman. In wooding,
watering, and manning the boats, their services are invaluable.
They remain attached to the cruiser until she quits the station.

R Claeke — The Inhabitants of Sierra Leone. 829

Their services are likewise in much request as seamen on board
our merchant vessels, in the police force, and as domestic ser-
vants. The severe labour of shipping teak timber is almost ex-
clusively done by them. Hitherto the Kroos, with few excep-
tions, have resisted all the efforts made to Christianize them.
Their women do not accompany them to Sierra Leone, but they
cohabit with the liberated African women.

There are two tribes of Kroos : the Fish Kroos, living entirely
ujDon the coast ; and the Kroomen, who occupy the interior of
the country. There is a broad distinction between them, although
they are often confounded. The Fish people are much more
numerous than the Kroos, with whom they are constantly quar-
relling ; and are more employed in the ships along the coast.
Both Fishmen and Kroos are exempt from becoming slaves ; but
the work of the slave barracoons along the coast is principally
done by Fishmen.

The dress of the Kroos is simply a coloured cotton handker-
chief disposed about the loins ; but they sometimes wear silk
umbrellas to protect them from the sun or rain. Large ivory or
bone rings are much worn round the wrists or ankles.

The negro population of Sierra Leone represents almost every
tribe in West Africa ; and the variety of spoken languages makes
a perfect Babel of confusion. Fifty different languages are in use
among the liberated Africans ; many of these tribes differing
greatly in their mode of life and progress in civilization. Nearly
all the liberated Africans, who at present form the bulk of the
population of Sierra Leone, are distinguished by national marks
upon the face, arms, or body ; but slaves, I understand, are dif-
ferently marked in some countries from the freeborn. Indeed,
the custom of marking the face has not been entirely abandoned
at Sierra Leone, as several of their children have cuts on the face
exactly similar to the tribe to which their parents belong. This
is particularly the case among the Akoos,

The manners and customs of several of the negro nations
might, however, in many points of resemblance, bear a compari-
son with those of the Europeans : thus we might compare the
Kussoh to the volatile Frenchman ; the industrious and enter-
prising Akoo to the Scots or Swiss, etc.

As a body, the liberated Africans are an industrious and
thrifty people ; and one most favourable trait in the character of
so incongruous an assemblage of different tribes, is the almost
total absence of the crime of drunkenness.

The Akoos form a considerable portion of the liberated Africans
at Sierra Leone. Though known in the colony as " Akoos", a
word signifying how-d'ye-do, they are elsewhere known as Yar-
ribeans. They are distinguished into tribes bearing the names of

330 R Clarke — The Inhabitants of Sierra Leone.

the districts of the Yarriba country to which they belong ; as
Ifeh, Jebuh, Jessuh, Eyeo, Ebgwa, Joliba, Yagwa. They are pre-
eminently enterprising, and possess personal and freehold pro-
perty of great value ; many of them being wealthy merchants,
having much influence in the colony. Their influence is not
always exerted on the side of justice, which is perhaps to some
extent owing to their having lived in early life in lands where
might, not right, is the prevailing law. This, I regret to say, is
more especially observable with reference to trial by jury, and
forcibly illustrates the strong clan feelings which actuate them.
Tor instance, when a civil or criminal action is brought by or
against an Akoo, meetings are held at the houses of the influ-
ential men amongst them, when the matter is discussed, and the
verdict to be given is agreed upon ; and, as more than half the
jury is generally Akoos, they are pretty sure of a majority — the
verdict of three-fourths of the jury prevailing. In fact, the in-
fluence of their headman or king, as they call him, is so great,
that no Akoo dare disobey him. If he did so, he would be
shunned by his countrymen, and be denied the Akoo ceremonies
which take place at their burial ; the bare thought of which is
associated in their minds with degradation and the worst
disgrace. Fortunately, this perversion of justice can effectually
be checked by selecting the jury from different tribes. The
Africans are very litigious, and constantly summoning each other
on the most trivial occasions. Jealousy is a frequent cause of
the contention, leading to the elopement of their wives ; husbands
being more frequently abandoned by their wives, than wives by
their husbands.

The negroes are very polite and courteous. Even when their
only garment consists of a shirt or loin-cloth, they salute each
other with a bow, touch of the hat (or in lieu of one pull the fore-
lock of their hair), shake hands, and scrape the foot ; the women
curtsying kindly to their friends. To persons who have lost re-
latives by death, the manner of the women is peculiarly tender
and touching. In passing by, I have often heard them tell the
survivor to "hush, hush"; these simple words being uttered in
tones of entreaty and sorrow, with the view of soothing the suf-
ferer's grief In accosting one another, or the European, they use
the terms " mammy" and " daddee"; and " broder" and " sissa"
are also much used by them in conversation.

In going to and returning from market, these industrious
women walk daily great distances, bearing heavy baskets of
farm produce on their heads. Their infants are secured to their
backs frequently with their head exposed to the glare and noon-
day heat without suffering in the slightest. This immunity is
owing, in a great measure, to the nature of their hair, and also

R Olaeke — The Inhabitants of Sierra Leone. 331

to the relaxation of the system by which profuse perspiration
follows the least exertion, thereby equalizing the circulation, and
preventing local congestions. The skin is, moreover, carefully
anointed with doneh grease to moderate and check perspiration.
It is pleasing to see the mothers caressing their " piccans " as
they call them, by stroking and patting their bodies and limbs — a
kind of shampooing process ; and to observe the glee with which
they toss them about and hold them up to be admired. When
busy, they set them down on the ground, or a mat, to sprawl
about at pleasure. Their children, as they grow up, are too often
petted, until they become wilful and unsuflferably perverse, being
at other times, but more rarely, unmercifally beaten.

Education, and the moral and religious training they receive in
the schools of the colony, is markedly manifest, not only in the
physical improvement of their features, but also in the intelligence
they discover. But whether because society at Sierra Leone is
at present in a state of transition, or because the soil is chiefly
cultivated by slaves in West Africa, few of the young men be-
come agriculturists. On the contrary, they appear to hold its
pursuit in contempt, preferring to obtain situations in the govern-
ment offices and merchants' stores ; while the young women seek
employment as sempstresses, &c., seldom entering service as
domestics.

Few of the liberated Africans reach old age, especially those of
them who had been subjected, when grown up, to the barbarous
treatment inflicted when penned up in the barracoons, or nearly
sufibcated on board the slave vessels. In the case of children the
injury then done is not so much felt afterwards, because, they are
not confined, but allowed to run about and amuse themselves,
except in stormy weather, when the hatches are battened down.

The negro is easily excited to anger, but it is soon appeased.
When found fault with, native servants say, in their parlance, that
their master or mistress "has cursed them." In their alterca-
tions they are violent, but seldom come to blows, contenting
themselves by abusing one another in the foulest language they
can lay tongue to, screaming furiously, especially the women,
rushing up to each other and gesticulating in the most frantic
way, and vociferating in the loudest tones — each of them in this
war of words being backed up by mutual friends among the
spectators, to whom they constantly appeal to support their vitu-
perations. When much irritated, they are prompt to take sum-
mary vengeance, and wounds of the person are consequently of
frequent occurrence. Servants consider it no crime to rob the
white man, and so long as they are undetected they do not lose
caste among their equals, although the latter may be aware of
their thefts. But, as is unfortunately too often the case in

332 R Clarke — The Inhabitants of Sierra Leone.

England and America, successful rogues, who have placed the
proceeds of their robberies in safe custody while expiating
their crimes, are looked upon as martyrs, their innocence
loudly proclaimed, and when released from prison and the
chain gang they are received with open arms and admitted,
as heretofore, to all the privileges of society. Some of these
men, after emerging from their disgraceful captivity, and
undergoing the indignity of corporal punishment, have become
wealthy and influential citizens, and in one or two instances have
obtained appointments in the public service. Their worst fault is a
propensity to untruthfulness, but in a general point of view they
may fairly be considered as a well meaning people, allowance
being made for their present state of civilization ; and their good
and bad qualities may, in my opinion, bear comparison with simi-
lar classes in Europe without detriment to either party. Their
loyalty is unquestioned, and was ardently displayed by the whole
population on occasion of the recent visit of his Eoyal Highness
Prince Alfred to the colony.

The Africans are as joyous and as light-hearted a people as any
upon the earth, entertaining a keen sense of the ludicrous, as
testified by the loud peals of laaghter with which they make their
dwellings resound. The laugh of the negro race is peculiarly
hearty, the last syllable being lengthened out and attended with
a chuckling sound. They are full of fun, and it makes one's
heart glad and grateful to hear them laugh and chatter. Groups
of merry people meet at one another's houses and spend their
time in conversation, carried on amidst hearty peals of laughter,
amazing vociferation, volubility and gaiety, which is often pro-
longed for hours together, and is so seducing that they separate
with reluctance. Occasionally they entertain each other with
droll tales, or the wonderful powers of some witch-man. A cheap
rum is often freely drunk on these occasions. In fact, the African
in general, like many of his European brethren, endeavours to
gratify his desires with the least trouble, and although none are
fonder of money or have more correct ideas of its value than
they have, they wisely try to enjoy life tranquilly rather than
harass themselves in struggling to get it at the cost of loss of
health, and possibly of life, as so often happens in the hot scramble
after it in Europe. When attacked with fatal illness, they meet
death with the calm resignation of a stoic, comforting themselves
in the belief that they are about to return to their country,
kindred, and friends.

Comparatively few of the female Creoles are married, and in
a colony where the marriage ceremony is held in but little esteem,
and generally dispensed with, young girls live as concubines, or
" sweethearts", as they phrase it. Every eftbrt has been and is

R Claeke — The Inhabitants of Sierra Leone. 883

made by the worthy bishop and missionaries to check this evil,
and I am glad to understand apparently with considerable suc-
cess. The men prefer to marry v/omen who have lived with
them and borne them children, defending this custom upon the
grounds that they wished to try how they liked one another be-
fore they were legally married. This apprenticeship to matri-
mony brings no reproach to the lady in the event of a separation.
Sterility is perhaps the most frequent cause of separation, the
birth of children being most earnestly desired, and several in-
stances have come to my knowledge of well educated natives
consulting fetish practitioners to remove the cause of the bar-
renness by means of medicines and various charms, a consumma-
tion sometimes happily attained by a change of habits, but which
is almost invariably ascribed by them to the power of the drugs
of their country doctors. On the Gold Coast, children born
with supernumerary fingers are looked upon by the super-
stitious people as witches. In one instance which came to my
knowledge, the infant was on this account, soon after its birth,
burnt alive ; and, in another case, the child was destroyed by
twisting its neck, when it was buried in a dung heap. The
Eboes in their own country look with dread upon a woman who
has given birth to twins, and often destroy her and the twins
too ; and if an infant happens to cut the teeth of the upper jaw
first, it also is killed.

Many of the women of Sierra Leone, and in the adjoining coun-
tries, suckle their children until they can walk. Abortion is
sometimes resorted to when a woman who is suckling becomes
pregnant, on the grounds of the injury done to the baby at the
breast, and because generally they are too poor to rear the child
upon spoon meat. Both sexes generally go about naked, with the
exception of a loin cloth, until the age of ten or twelve. The
Timmanee girl children sometimes wear a fringe of thinly cut
thongs of leather round their loins.

In West Africa the family tie, anomalous as it may appear
where domestic slavery exists, is of the very strongest nature, and
it is only where the demon avarice steps in, in the shape of the
foreign slave trade, that it is broken. From the prevalence of
polygamy a blow will much sooner be forgiven, than any reproach
cast upon their mothers.

Amongst all classes of the community, great external respect is
paid to the Sabbath ; the utmost order and decorum prevails, and
cleanly well dressed blacks may be seen going to church or chapel.
Instead of the clamour and activity of a week day, there is sub-
stituted the stentorian voices of the native preachers, trumpeting
forth the glad tidings of the gospel ; and the stranger walking
along the streets of Freetown on Sunday will greatly wonder at

334 R Claeke — The Inhabitants of Sierra Leone.

the wordy eloquence poured forth in torrents from the chapels
situated in every part of the town. Their hymn tunes are often
adapted to profane music, and in most of them they follow the
Wesleyans in showing the assembled brethren their deep sense of
sin and saving convictions, by publicly "■ finding peace,"' " finding
the Lord,'" etc. In the churches and chapels of the Church Mis-
sionary and Wesleyan Societies the sexes sit apart, the service
being conducted with much decorum.

The pagan part of the population in the peninsula of Sierra
Leone is estimated by the last census to be 3,351, but that
number does not include the newly added territory of the Sherboro
and Quiah countries, nor the inhabitants of Bulama, or those on
the Bullom shore.

There are, of course, various persuasions of Pagans, but amongst
all of them unanimity prevails in their profession of monotheism.
Even those of them ( and they are numerous) who openly worship
the devil, convince themselves of the necessity of this practice by
the same wild arguments which have satisfied semi-civilized men
in other parts of the world. Although they believe in the existence
of a god, the author of all good, they also conceive that he is not
omnipotent, but that his authority is disputed and controlled
by the Spirit of Evil. Believing that God, prompted by the
beneficence of his nature, will bestow every blessing in his power
vdthout solicitation, their only anxiety is to appease, by prayer
and sacrifices, the enmity of the enemy of mankind.

Thunder and lightning are worshipped by some of the Akoo
or Yarriba people. They adore these phenomena as direct
emanations of deity ; and during the awful stillness which pre-
cedes the bursting forth of the tornado in all its grandeur and
fury, and in the intervals between the crashing peals of thunder,
the silence is broken by their wild chaunts in honour of their
gods, and to propitiate the evil power to avert calamity. Not a
few persons in the community believe that these thunder wor-
shippers possess the power of directing the lightning to destroy
their enemies. Wooden and clay idols are also worshipped ; and
some of them adore serpents and other reptiles, feeding and pro-
tecting them with great care. The worshippers of snakes are
known by wearing a ring of brass or iron round the left wrist.
Large rivers and lakes are likewise adored ; and water is wor-
shipped in small earthen pots. Palm nuts receive adoration from
some of the Yarribeans.

Near most of the Timmanee towns there is a small temple,
containing shells, skulls, images, etc., supposed to be the resi-
dence of protecting spirits ; the inhabitants invoking their care
with the most solemn and earnest devotion. Libations to the

R Claeke — The Inhabitants of Sierra Leone. 835

dead of meat and drink about to be partaken of, by spilling or
throwing a portion on the ground is common to many of the
African tribes. White fowl, sheep, or goats, are received as
omens of good luck, and are consequently choice oflFerings to the
evil spirits, and to strangers who may be welcome.

Some of the natives of Bornu entertain superstitious feelings
on the subject of the song and flight of certain birds, and will
defer a journey if they consider either unpropitious.

The Sherboros believe in a being whom they call " Hobbah
Querry", as the author of good ; and in another being whom
they call " Min-nyamuny", the author of all evil. They also
believe that good people will on their death go to their fore-
fathers, and that the wicked will never see their departed rela-
tives. Animals and vegetables are sacrificed by them to the
infernal gods. In time of public calamity, one or more females
were formerly sacrificed.

The Kroos sacrifice a cow to make " juju" or worship. Their
priests, before killing the animal by cutting its throat, perform
ceremonies over it. The blood is allowed to run on the ground,
and the head is thrown away.

Education is well provided for by the government, and by the
Church Missionary and Wesleyan Societies. At the Fourah Bay
institution, the object of which is to educate a number of native
young men, chiefly for the ministry, to enable them to officiate
as missionaries in the colony and in the interior, the course of
study embraces, besides divinity, Greek, general history, geo-
metry, algebra, geography, English composition, and music. The
president of the institution is the Eev. Edward Jones, under
whose efficient tuition it has made great progress. Several of its
students have passed very creditable examinations before the
Bishop of London prior to ordination ; and two of them have ob-
tained commissions as staflF assistant- surgeons in the army, and
are at present stationed on the Gold Coast. Mr. Jones is almost
a pure-blooded African, and is by far the most eloquent preacher
in the Church Missionary Society at Sierra Leone. There are
several female schools, in which the girls are taught writing,
arithmetic, geography, drawing, music, Bible doctrine, and needle-
work.

No one who has lived — as I have done so many years — among
the negro races, can entertain the slightest doubt of their mental
capabilities. At Sierra Leone, nearly all the appointments, from
the highest to the lowest, are held by black or coloured men ; the
duties being in every respect well performed.

Although there are no manufactures in the colony, there are
several branches of industry which may come under this head.
Boat building is carried on to a considerable extent, the whole of

336 R Claeke — The Inhabitants of Sierra Leone.

the fishing boats and canoes being constructed by native hands ;
and several small decked vessels have also been built in the
colony. The art of carpentering is practised with success in the
construction of the framework of buildings, and of furniture for
common use ; but the finer work of the art has only been at pre-
sent mastered by a few. Masonry and building have made great
progress, as shewn in the good and substantial houses of Free-
town, and in the rural districts ; and some of the public build-
ings, especially the churches, are well built edifices. Tailoring is a
trade very generally practised, the negroes rapidly acquiring the
art of making and mending their clothes. In the streets and
suburbs of Freetown and the villages, men may be seen busily
plying the needle in the open air. They do not sit cross-legged,
but on stools or chairs, sewing and chatting with their neigh-
bours and the passers-by, but never distressing themselves. In
fact, these men would justly consider the horrible "sweating"
system practised in this country upon their poorer fellow-work-
men as far less endurable than slavery in its worst form.

A beautiful pellucid oil is extracted from the ground nut
(arachus hypogea). It burns without any perceptible odour, and
is used by nearly all the men-of-war steamers upon the coast, and
is well fitted for machinery. In Europe it is sold as Lucca oil ;
and the nuts are likewise much used in France and the United
States for confectionery. Parched or boiled, they are excellent
as dessert, and quite equal, if they do not excel, the Spanish nut.
Enormous quantities of these nuts are yearly sent to England, the
United States, and to France. It is calculated that nuts to the
value of £100,000 are sent yearly to the port of Marseilles
alone. Touloucuna, croupee, or kundah oil, is expressed from
the seeds of a meliaceous plant, the carupa touloucouna of the
Flore de Senegambie. Everywhere almost, in the luxuriant copse-
woods of the colony, the carupa forms part of them, and is readily
distinguished by the rich reddish brown colour of the bunch of
soft leaves upon the points of the upper branches. It is a lofty
tree, but, as before stated, the present evil system of cutting
down the forest trees of the colony prevents its becoming more
than copsewood. This oil burns well, and is extensively used as a
paint oil, and for lubricating tools ; and it is especially well
adapted for the manufacture of soap. By the natives it is used
in rheumatism, itch, and worms. A valuable oil is also extracted
from benni seeds, and from the physic or croton nut ; but the
latter is not at present an article of export.

At the Isles de Los there are from thirty to forty associations
of people from Sierra Leone, established during the fishing sea-
son, from October to May or June, prosecuting the fishery ; the
captain representing the capital and experience of the association.

R Claeke — The Inhabitants of Sierra Leone. 337

The boat's crew consists of a captain and six men. A boat
complete for this trade will cost about £25 to £30, each man
finding his own tackle, lines, and hooks. As the season ap-
proaches, the owner engages men and boys on the cooperative
system to collect firewood, cook and prepare the meals of the
fishing party, take care of the fish, and keep up the fires for
curing them. Each man of the crew pays the captain I5. 6d to
2s., with which sum he provides a stock of grated cassada (foo-
foo) sufficient for three or four days consumption, and when all
these arrangements have been completed, they sail from the
colony to the Isles de Los, which they reach on an average in from
fourteen to sixteen hours. Having selected a spot where their
boat can be sheltered from the tornadoes, they make all the re-
(juisite arrangements on shore, and put to sea until they run into
eighteen or twenty fathoms of water, where fish are plentiful,
sometimes forty miles from the islands. Here they remain until
the afternoon, and then return with the sea-breeze to the islands.
Every man marks the fish he catches in a manner different from
his neighbours, and previously decided upon, the captain alone
not marking his fish. When the fish has been satisfactorily dis-
tributed, every man proceeds to cure his own share. Three success-
ful trips will enable them to load a boat with cured fish for the
market of the colony. The fish (chiefly snappers) is nicely packed
up in leaves, and sold in Freetown from 3d to 4^d. each. The
capitalist of the firm claims as his average share from ] 5 to 20
per cent, on each man's catching, according to previous arrange-
ment. Upwards of £3000 is in this way annually realized by
these hardy and industrious men.

Large numbers of the liberated Africans are selected, after ad-
judication, to recruit the "West India regiments. This is done as soon
as possible, because otherwise their countrymen would get among
them and prejudice their minds against becoming soldiers. Of
course the strongest, youngest, and most promising men among
them are selected. In a comparatively short time they learn their
drill, and a sufficient smattering of English to make themselves in-
telligible. As soldiers they possess the highest excellence, docility,
and attachment to their officers, steadiness under fire, great en-
durance, and bravery. Properly officered, these men are quite
equal to the best troops ; and, like all other soldiers, require to
be treated with firmness, but considerate kindness, which is
abundantly repaid in the bond of mutual respect and esteem felt
towards each other by the officers and men. Eew of the Creoles
enlist, because they dislike the strict discipline ; but they have
not the same aversion to the militia, knowing that the service is
only for short periods, for the defence of the colony, and that
they cannot be sent out of it.

z

338 R Clakke — The Inhabitants of Sierra Leone.

The barracks are finely situated upon a detached hill about 300
feet above the level of the sea, and are consequently less exposed
to the influence of a malarious and partly of a scorbutic taint,
which prevails more or less, becoming intensified in some years,
and so, in my opinion, generating yellow fever. The tempera-
ture at the barracks is generally cooler than that of the city
beneath. The officers and men's quarters are roomy and well-
ventilated. Government House, and the military hospital are
built on the ascent leading to the barracks.

Narrow cotton cloths are manufactured by the Timmanees,
and, by some of the other natives of the surrounding coun-
tries. They are beautifully dyed with indigo, or camwood, or
turmeric. Mats of various designs and colours are made by the
Bulloms, Sherbros, and Moco people, which are in general use io^
the table, floors, and as sofa covers.

Nearly all the shopkeeping of the colony is in the hands of
the blacks ; and, from their frugal and industrious habits, many
of these men soon become wealthy and influential members
of society, living in commodious and often elegantly furnished
houses. They import their goods direct from England, and, since
the establishment of the line of packets, are in the habit of occa-
sionally visiting it to select and purchase in the manufacturing
districts the articles they may require to trade with. The love
of trading is strongly displayed by all the people; and so much
is this the case, that men, women, and children even of tender
age, hawk about poultry, fish, fruit, palm wine, and made dishes,
as agedi or blancmange from Indian corn, pancakes made of ban-
nanas, and a thousand and one savoury comestibles dear to the
African's soul ; the cry "pam wem", " sweetie sweetie pam wem",
being one which is heard in almost every street in the early part
of the morning. It is procured from the palm tree by tapping it
below the feathery tuft of branches which crown that noble tree,
and, when drunk quite fresh, is a delicious and refreshing beverage.

The houses of what may b'e termed the middle classes are well
supplied with glass, crockery, and furniture. Their children have
quite a passion for pasting upon the walls prints from illustrated
journals, and several of them show a natural taste for drawing by
copying them.

As might be expected, there is a good deal of poverty, and ex-
treme cases occasionally occur of paupers being found dying of des-
titution in the streets. When brought to the hospital, these poor
people have generally previously suffered the combined miseries of
disease and want. Some of them have been known to belong to
benefit clubs, who during life received no assistance from that source,
although after death their bodies are claimed and interred with
decency by the members of the club. It is no uncommon thing

R Claeke — The Inhabitants of Sierra Leone. 339

for persons so situated to wander into the bush, and terminate
their miseries and lives by hanging themselves. There is, never-
theless, much kindness shewn by the poorer classes to help each
other in distress, and their charitable feelings are alone repressed
by their poverty. Such benevolent sentiments are more especially
commendable on a coast remarkable for utter recklessness as re-
gards the preservation of human life.

Agriculture in the colony is still in a rude state, the principal,
almost the only implements employed, being the short hoe and cut-
lass to cut down the bush ; the use of the plough is unknown, and
the spade also, except in the gardens of a few Europeans. Wheel-
barrows have been introduced, but are little used ; everything, from
a single bottle to the heaviest article, being "totted", as they call it,
upon the head. Indeed, sooner than trundle a wheelbarrow, they
have been known to li^ them loaded upon their heads and march off
with them. The only preparation made previous to planting their
grounds consists in burning down the brushwood, amongst the
stumps and roots of which the soil is scratched. This process is
repeated every year in February ; for, if neglected but for one
season, the jungle would resume its original condition. These
annual conflagrations are a grand and imposing spectacle, more
especially when seen at night blazing along the tops and sides
of the mountains, the noise of the crackling of the bush as it is con-
sumed being strikingly in contrast with the unbroken stillness of
the night. After the crop has been gathered, the spot of ground
is allowed to lie fallow for one or two years ; another spot being
selected, where the same primitive process is repeated. A great
difference is, however, perceptible as to the extent of land cleared
and under cultivation in the different parts of the colony, more
land being left fallow some years than in others, when the natives
are stimulated to labour by the prospect of a market for their pro-
duce ; otherwise they in general do not care to plant more than is
necessary for their wants. Even under this primitive method
of cultivation, ginger, pepper, arrowroot, sweet potatoes, ground
nuts, fundi, pease, and calavanches, Indian corn, cassada, yams,
tania or coco, with shallots, are produced in large quantities.
There are two or three small coffee plantations in the colony, but
their culture is little attended to, and they consequently produce
little ; but what they do yield is of a very excellent quality.
Cotton might be cultivated, as there are several kinds indigenous
to the country, distinguished by the flowers being white, tawny,
or of a pale red or pink colour. The sugarcane could also be
largely produced on the level lands near the banks of the river.
On their patches of land bits of rag may be noticed fluttering
from the stump of a bush or a stick, or a bottle is placed upon
the ground, or broken and hoisted upon a pole : these are in-

z2

840 R Claeke — The Inhabitants of Sierra Leone.

tended as offerings to their genii, whom they suppose dwell in the
air and have power over it. To remove one of them is an offence
they are careful to avoid, for fear of bringing down the displeasure
of the spirits to whom they are dedicated.

Dancing is an amusement the natives are passionately fond of.
It is more especially during the glorious moonlight nights that
they give themselves up with rapture to this pleasing excitement.
Both sexes appear together, standing round in a circle. The mo-
tion of the dancers is at first slow, but is gradually increased as
they become animated by the singing and clapping of the hands of
their friends and bystanders. All join in the chorus. The dancing
is performed to the music of the tom-tom drum. At first the drum
is beaten comparatively slowly, but as the excitement increases its
sounds become more rapid and louder. In the dance they frequently
vary the figure, sometimes forming a great circle round the music,
and clapping hands at every repetition of their song. One person
commences the dance, and goes on for some time, when another
steps out of the circle, and they dance together, striving to outvie
each other to obtain the plaudits of the admiring throng. Two,
three, or four at other times dance together till tired out, when
they are relieved by others. The motions are more of a panto-
mimic nature than dancing in the European sense of that term,
the attitudes assumed being often in the highest degree indecent,
all modesty and shame being cast aside during these displays.
Nevertheless, grave and aged men and women encourage the
young men and maidens to strive to do their best. These satur-
nalia are continued from evening till near daylight without inter-
mission ; but they recruit themselves by drinking fermented palm
wine or rum, with tobacco.

They have several games of chance, but " wurri", which in seve-
ral points resembles backgammon, is their favourite amusement.
It is played with twenty-four seeds or pebbles, upon a board con-
taining twelve holes in two parallel rows of six each, or in
holes scooped out of the ground. Four of the seeds are
placed in each hole, when one of the players takes out the
four seeds from a hole, dropping them one by one on the suc-
ceeding from left to right, which disturbs the number of seeds
in each town or hole. His opponent does the same, until it is
found that one or two of the seeds have been dropped into a hole
holding fewer than four pebbles, when that number is won and
placed in the larger hole at each end of the board. The victory
is gained when the whole twenty-four seeds are captured. The
skill of the player consists in his judgment in choosing the holes
from which to take the seeds to be dropped. It is a game which
admits of considerable variety, and is perhaps of higher merit
than backsfammon or draughts.

R Claeke — The Inhabitants of Sierra Leone. 341

A marriage among the natives is an occasion of great rejoicing.
If the parties are too poor to buy the wedding garments, they
borrow them of their friends for a consideration ; coats, gowns,
and other finery of antique shape being hunted up for the occa-
sion, A hog is generally killed, and the day is spent in parading
the city, firing off muskets, eating, drinldng, and chattering.

JFunerals are conducted by all ranks of the blacks with so-
lemnity and decency. The coflfins of the married are covered
with some dark material, those of the unmarried with white
cotton. The mourners four deep, the elderly dressed in black,
the young girls in white dresses, the aged matrons accompanying
the procession. Sometimes hymns are sung as the corpse is
borne along ; and as the negroes have great aptitude for music
and sing well in parts, the effect is exceedingly good.

Upon the death of any member of the family, the greatest and
most distressing manifestations of grief are displayed. The
women rend their hair, and, like the Jews of old, throw dust
upon their heads, shrieking and lamenting as if they could recall
the soul from the world of spirits. Waking the dead is likewise
practised by the Christian part of the population. These revels
exhibit a mixture of religious feeling and jollity, rather amusing.
At first, hymns and spiritual songs are decorously sung, but, as
the night wanes, these are intermingled with groans and the
jabbering of human voices. The Psalms are now not sung, but
shouted, without the slightest attention to time ; when the girls
get chatting and coquetting with the young men, until all sense
of respect for the dead is entirely lost sight of during these
amorous tete a tete, the excitement being kept up during the
night by copious libations of strong drinks.

The food of the mass of the people consists chiefly of rice,
yams, coco or tania, cassada, maize, sweet potatoes, ground nuts,
with meat or fish, which they do not object to eat when very
high indeed. But their principal dish is composed of fish, and,
when they have the means, of fish, fowl, or meat stewed singly or
together, with palm oil freshly expressed from the nut and an
abundant seasoning of pepper. This stew is made piquant and
wholesome, by the addition of salt, bitter tomatoes, ocroes,
and shallots. With this highly-seasoned stew they eat their
rice, yams, etc, A great many live chiefly upon grated cassada
(foofoo), which when boiled forms a tenacious sticky mass, por-
tions of which are rolled up between the fingers into round
pellets, dipped into the soup or stew, and then swallowed.
One meal of foofoo, the natives allege, is sufficient for one day.
Its continued use, they state, causes " head turn," or giddiness.
Many of the country cooked dishes are excellent, as a change
of diet. " Palaver sauce," the stew so called, and made in the way

34j2 K Claeke — The Inhabitants of Sierra Leone.

just described, is delicious ; and so is " kous kous," a Joloff dish,
made by putting guinea corn (Holculanatus) into boiling water for
a short time, after whicli the water is poured off. To the grain
thus prepared tomatoes, and sometimes cabbage, is added — the
whole being stewed together with fowl, fish, or mutton, and a
small piece of salt pork. In cooking, the natives prefer to pound
their food. Thus yams, plantains, and cassada are pounded
with long poles, in large wooden hour-glass shaped mortars,
served up as foofoo, and eaten with soup, meat, or fish. In
general, the men and women eat separately, three or more
placing themselves round the dish of soup or stew, into which
they alternately dip the foofoo. The more unsophisticated part
of the population eat their food by picking it up in small
portions with the hand. The right hand is only so used by
many in eating, the left hand being reserved for other purposes.
Supper is the principal meal, and is abundantly seasoned with
much jocularity and good humoured fun. The Negro cooks
cannot be surpassed. At a wood fire, with the pot resting upon
stones, they concoct the most savoury viands, and so skilfully
that no Soyer or Trancatelli can excel them in the mysteries of
the art of cookery. At the tables of Europeans and wealthy
natives highly seasoned dishes of soup, meat, fish, fowl, and vege-
tables, with the usual condiments, are as well served np as in
any part of the world, and the attendance is quite as good.
Cooled claret and ale, and on company days champagne, sparkling
moselle, and other wines are not wanting to promote conviviality,
and fill up the cup of happiness to the brim.

Tobacco is largely smoked, but seldom chewed. The habit of
taking snuff by the mouth, which is much practised by both
sexes, not only at Sierra Leone, but likewise at the Gambia and
the Grold Coast, tends to corrode the gums, besides communi-
cating an offensive odour to the breath. The snuff, which is
charged with " lubi", or natron, is placed between the gum and
the lower lip or cheeks, the ugly black ridge disfiguring the
pretty faces of many of the black and coloured girls.

At Sierra Leone, wherein is assembled an epitome of all the
nations of West Africa, and many from the far interior and south
coast, no case of cannibalism occurred during my long service of
eighteen years there, nor on the Gold Coast where I was subse-
quently stationed several years ; and, in my opinion, when the
negroes partake of human flesh, it is done only on special oc-
casions, more as a triumph over their enemies, and as a fetish
ceremonial, than as food. When a slaver is captured, the slaves are
with difficulty persuaded that they are not to be fatted and then
eaten by their English captors, being told so by the slave dealers.

The natives of the Gold Coast, who profess and practise the

R Clarke — The Inhabitants of Sierra Leone. 34<3

medical profession, are either women or men. The former scarify
and cup with much dexterity, letting blood from the veins of the
hands and feet to relieve local pains ; but venesection from the arm
is not practised. Leeches, although abundant, are not used by the
natives. In selecting various herbs and plants ^ley discover great
powers of observation ; for there is scarcely a plant without its pecu-
liar healing action being known to them. This knowledge is seldom
impartedjbut it is transmitted from generation to generation, and is
generally confined to a female member of the family. The men who
practise medicine rank with the fetish priest. They do not profess
to cure disease in general, but devote their attention to the relief
of special ailments. Thus, they will when applied to, say whether
they have or have not any skill in the treatment of the particular
complaint, or, as they express it "they have no good medicine for its
cure." In consequence, there is a vast number of country doctors,
each boasting of his skill in the management of his own speciality.
Many of them are, however, mere empirics and deceive their patients
by their juggling tricks. Sick persons travel, or are carried,
great distances into the interior, to put themselves under a native
doctor having a reputation for curing the particular disease they
may sujffer from. They have great faith in sternutatories, and
applications for ammonia to smell were constant. In fever they
excite profuse sweating by placing the patient over a pot con-
taining an infusion of the leaves of the castor oil, lime, and
other plants, a large cotton cloth being thrown over the head and
reaching to the ground. But they now appreciate the value of
quinine, and apply for, and take it whenever it can be procured.
To relieve headaches they apply leaves of the castor oil and other
plants, binding the head very tightly with a kerchief ; and they
also daub the forehead and temples with wet clay with the same
object.

On the Gold Coast cold air baths are much used. The patient
is directed to rise at daybreak, and sit naked in the open air, ex-
posed to the cool and pleasant morning breeze until six o'clock
a.m. ; the patient being afterwards washed with a cold unstrained
infusion of the roots of the plantain tree, leaves of the lime tree,
cassada, and roots of a water lily, when the skin is well dried
and anointed with shea butter. A gruel made of Indian corn
called " Pampa " is then given, when they retire to rest, and fre-
quently fall into a sound and refreshing sleep, often lasting many
hours. That the art of surgery is practised in its higher branches
in the interior may be inferred from the following circumstances.
In 1853, a Foulah about sixty years of age, afflicted with
cataract of both eyes, of several years duration, was successfully
operated upon by a countryman who had come from Foota Jallon.
His mode of proceeding was first to administer country medicines

344 R Clarke — The Inhabitants of Sierra Leone.

to act upon the skin and bowels ; and before operating, the eyes
were freely anointed with the warm fat of a newly killed sheep.
As I did not see him operate, I cannot speak of the instrument
employed or the mode of using it ; but the extraction was effected,
and sight restored !For some days after the operation the patient
was kept secluded in a darkened room, and attention given to his
diet.

The natives of both sexes pay great attention to keep the skin
clean, and in general wash their bodies twice daily ; but this
care does not always extend to their clothing, which is not un-
frequently left unwashed after having been worn some time.

It has been often asserted, that the uncivilized suffer less
from disease than the civilized. This is entirely contrary to
the fact, so far, at least, as the negro races are concerned, with
the exception of yellow fever, from which it has been satis-
factorily established they are exempt. Small-pox, intermittent and
continued fevers, lung, bowel, skin, scrofulous and syphilitic dis-
eases, ulcers, with paralytic, epileptic and rheumatic affections, are
the ailments from which they chiefly suffer. They are also subject
to a fatal lethargy, which they call the "sleepy sickness or dropsy."
People in this condition often wander about the streets to the ex-
treme danger of being ridden over, the lethargy being often so over-
powering that they fall asleep even when eating.* Madness is in
general viewed with horror by the natives, the patient being re-
moved as soon as possible to a distance to obtain the advice of a
country doctor. The native medical treatment of mania consists
chiefly in shaving and cupping the head, keeping it cool with
leaves and wet clay, purging the bowels, and sweating ; the
patient being restrained by rude handcuffs and leg logs from in-
juring himself or attendants. In this state cleanliness is often
neglected, the patient becoming loathsome from dirt and secre-
tions.

Parturition in the negress is generally represented as an easy
process, but this is incorrect, as they suffer quite as much as
European women do from difficult labour, instrumental assistance
being frequently required to complete it ; and cases do occur
where the woman has died undelivered.

Deformed persons are by no means rare. All the varieties of
distorted spine, which give rise to the hunchback, and also talipes
or club feet, are quite as often met with as in Europe. Stam-
merers, hare-lipped, and tongue-tied infants are quite as numerous
as in Europe ; and the proportion of persons blind from cataract
and amaurosis is much greater. Squinting is also as often met

* See contributions by R. Clarke, Esq., in London Medical Gazette for
Sept. 1840, and Edinburgh and London Medical Journal, 1842.

R Claeke — The Inhabitants of Sierra Leone. 345

with. Deafness, congenital or acquired, is an infirmity perhaps
of less frequent occurrence.

The hair of the negro becomes grey in general at an earlier
age than in Europe, and it falls off just as readily, as may be
observed from the number of bald people. But doubtless baldness
is frequently the result of their habit of carrying heavy loads
upon the head, which must wear off the hair.

Circumcision is much practised in the colony among the males,
but I am uncertain whether the Creole girls undergo this rite, be-
cause if it is done their parents would probably try to conceal it
from Europeans. In the adjoining countries, the Sherboros, Tim-
manees, and Kussohs circumcise both sexes. It is also done by
the Yarribeans and other tribes ; but the Popoes do not practise it.

The chiefs and people entertain a firmly rooted belief in witch-
craft ; and also that certain fetish persons and country doctors
are skilled in preparing poisons of a nature so subtle that they
may be safely used against their victims without the risk of dis-
covery. These fetish persons are frequently consulted by parties
seeking revenge on others. The fear of coming into contact with
pernicious substances is displayed in the care taken by the chiefs
or headmen that none shall sit upon their stools during their ab-
sence. For, when they assemble in council, or come into the
Enghsh courts upon the Gold Coast, an attendant slave is always
in charge of their seats ; and when he rises to speak, or leaves
the court, the chair or stool is placed upon its side to prevent
fetish medicines being put upon it. Women equally dread the
effect of the evil eye and fetish medicines, which they believe can
induce sterility, alienate their husbands' affections, or cause some
other evil to befall them or their children. People put into fetish
are de facto excommunicated. Shunned even by their friends,
they wander about, and either yield to the cruel behests of the
fetish priests, or wandering into the recesses of the forest perish
miserably by their own hands. So much is this the case, that my
excellent and talented friend Sir B. C. C. Pine, during his ad-
ministration of the government of the Gold Coast in 1857, found
it necessary to issue a proclamation forbidding the practice of
putting, or threatening to put, people into fetish, severe punish-
ment being denounced against persons infringing this decree ; but
the government cannot at present strictly enforce this law, be-
cause of the great distance of many of the districts from head-
quarters. It is consequently often violated with impunity.

There is a hospital in Freetown for the treatment of colonists
and merchant seamen. This establishment was formerly situated
at the village of Kissy, upwards of three miles from the city,
until 1853, when it was removed. Formerly, destitute British
and foreign seamen were sent to the Kissy hospital whilst suffer-

346 R Clarke — The Inhabitants of Sierra Leone.

ing from fever ; and, as these men were often in the last stage
before they came under treatment, their removal to so great a
distance was in the highest degree injurious to them, and many-
lost their lives from this circumstance alone. Indeed, I was so much
impressed with the absolute necessity of having the hospital in
Freetown, that I strongly advocated its removal eleven years be-
fore it was carried out, in a sketch of Sierra Leone which I then
published.* The lunatic asylum, small-pox hospital, and hospital
for the treatment of slaves just landed from the slavers, are still
at Kissy.

The markets of Sierra Leone are abundantly supplied with good
beef and mutton, and the poultry, although small in size, are well
flavoured. A great variety of fish, both fresh and dried, are ex-
posed for sale and hawked about ; and oysters, shrimps, cray and
crab fish of the finest quality, can nearly always be had in the mar-
kets. Soles, black and golden snapper, perch, pike, mullet, minne
or whitebait, delicious grouper, with the baracouta, quite equal in
flavour to cod, afford a supply of the most wholesome kind of food.
Baracouta attain a great size and weight ; one I weighed in 1854
was 1 cwt. 25 lbs., and measured seven feet three inches in length.

Excellent vegetables, as yams, pumpkins, cucumbers, ocroes, to-
matoes, calciloo (a good substitute for spinach), shallots, etc., may
be obtained throughout the season. In the rainy season, lettuce,
water cress, cabbages, parsley, and other European vegetables,
may also be purchased. I have even partaken of potatoes of the
finest quality grown at the base of the " Sugar Loaf", but the seed
required to be annually brought from Europe. The fruit market is
abundantly supplied with pines of the finest quality, limes, oranges,
mangoes, papua, sour and sweet sops, guavas, bananas, plantains, etc.

A never failing supply of the purest water, and, in a word,
every comfort of life, can be procured at Sierra Leone and the
Gambia at a moderate expense. Persons living in those colonies
can, moreover, enjoy the healthful and agreeable exercise of riding
or driving over well kept roads and bridges, the scenery in the
former colony being most beautiful. The horses are smaU, but
spirited, fleet, and finely formed, having a dash of Arab blood in
them.

With regard to the climate, it has been too long the fashion to
abuse and condemn it without inquiry ; and the medical profes-
sion, like the general public, have accepted and endorsed its un-
healthiness as an established fact. But, in reality, the climate of

* Manners and customs of the liberated Africans, &c., page 77. Ridg-
way, Piccadilly, 1842.

Tables of lunacy at Sierra Leone, for eleven years, are given in a paper
of mine, read before the British Association at Glasgow, in 1835, and pub-
lished in the Statistical Journal for March, 1856.

R Claeke — The Inhabitants of Sierra Leone. 347

West Africa will bear comparison with most of our East or West
Indian colonies, where endemic, with epidemic fevers, and cholera
to boot, prevail quite as frequently and fatally. In truth, health
is to a certain extent in the hands of Europeans themselves, and
the monotony so loudly complained of may be effectually over-
come by employment, and recreation, while moderate living (in-
cluding good wine and beer), regular exercise, early rising, and
retiring early to rest, sleeping in well-ventilated rooms, the bath,
and a careful guarding of the skin from chills, will enable them
to live almost as safely, and quite as comfortably, in West Africa
as in England. It should no longer be concealed, that half at
least of the deaths and incapacities, unfairly ascribed to the
climate, are the result of errors of personal economy and intem-
perance. Deaths from accidents serve to swell the mortality
lists, which are also greatly increased by men broken in health
and fortune seeking a livelihood in the colonies there, and
by young men, or rather boys, being sent out as clerks, etc.,
before their constitutions are fitted to cope with the climate.
In the former case, these persons are too poor to get the com-
forts so necessary to support life in a tropical climate ; while the
latter are assailed by temptations few of them know how to with-
stand.

Popular opinion has exaggerated the effects of the climate
with which it has nothing to do. If Europeans will eat and
drink to an extent which would be ruinous in England, the cli-
mate is straightway denounced. Its effects must of course
depend, to some extent, upon the temperament and idiosyncrasy
of individuals, but if stimulants are too often drunk, while sitting
up night after night at the card table is indulged in and often
prolonged to daybreak, health must be impaired, and ultimately
destroyed.

In the treatment of the paroxysmal fevers of the coast, the mer-
curial system has long since been discarded for the more rational
method of giving quinine, either alone or in combination at their
commencement, cinchonism being induced as rapidly as possible ;
treatment which has eflFected a great saving of European life.

With regard to the classes best adapted to resist the climatorial
influence of West Africa, the negro race undoubtedly holds the
first rank ; and if its population consisted of negroes alone, yellow
fever would altogether disappear. Nevertheless, it is questionable
whether persons of mixed blood are better able to bear up against
its eflects than persons of pure European blood, provided the latter
are sober in their habits. There can be no doubt that Europeans,
upon their first arrival in West Africa, are in greater danger of
losing their lives than the former ; but when once they have be-
come acclimated, they seem generally to withstand the influence of

348 R. Claeke — The Inhabitants of 8ierra Leone.

the climate better than the coloured people, provided, I repeat,
they are temperate in their habits.

Before submitting these lithographs to the public, I may be per-
mitted to state that, although Mrs. Clarke is no artist, neverthe-
less the original drawings are accurate and truthful likenesses.
And so much is this the case, that the portraits were immediately
recognized by those who knew the diflferent individuals of the
races represented. The lithographs now published are only part
of a large collection of drawings made during her residence of eleven
years at Sierra Leone and on the Gold Coast. They were made
with a view of illustrating a large and unique collection of the
crania of some of the African tribes, which, with several crania
of foreign seamen who had been engaged in the slave trade, were
sent by me in 1840 to the late Sir James McGrigor, Director-
General of the Army Medical Department, and are now dej)osited
in the museum of Netley Hospital. The vast extent of country
over which slavery and the slave trade prevail is well shown by
the fact that, these crania represent races from the centre of
Africa about Lake Tchad westward to the Niger, and from its
eastern bank where it falls into the sea. From the coast upwards
to Senegambia, and from where the Niger changes its course from
N.E. to S.E. Also from the southern half of this great continent
from 10° S. to the Cape, and from the country between the banks
of the Coanzan and Cameroons.

It occupied me upwards of three years to form this collection,
and it could only have been made in so short a time from the
enormous mortality among the newly landed slaves. For example,
in 1838, 1,264 persons died in hospital, and 1839, 1,635.

In looking at these heads, it will be observed that they are well
formed, and strikingly resemble those published in the Illustrated
London News of July 4, in an account of the recent journeys
of Messrs. Grant and Speke through Eastern Africa to the
sources of the Nile. Indeed, I quite concur with my learned
friend Judge Corner, that the average negro head is as well
shaped as most heads in Europe, and many of their noses are
more elevated than some of the labouring classes who may be met
with in London and elsewhere. Their faces, moreover, have not
the projecting simious type which is so generally thought to
characterize the negroes of the Guinea Coast. But even in per-
sons where the face does project, I have met many men among
them of excellent abilities in the widest sense of that term. That
the negro in his present state of civilization is not creative but
imitative is readily explained by the fact of his race having been
depressed by slavery and by bad government, corrupting and de-

p^ I.

M>^^ CLARff, DEL.

MRS MACKIE, LITH.

R Claeke — The Inhabitants of Sierra Leone. 849

basing influences whicli are still actively in operation ; but if this
paper helps to clearer and juster views of the negro character, it
will not have been written in vain. Its title does not indicate its
nature, because it refers not only to the natives of Sierra Leone,
but also to those of the Gold Coast, a matter which I found could
not be corrected as the paper with the current title had been put
in type.

To my venerable and much-esteemed friend, Mr. John McCor-
mack of Sierra Leone, I beg to renew my warmest thanks for
much information regarding the tribes in the neighbourhood of
that colony. Mr. McCormack is one of the most accurate ob-
servers whom it was ever my good fortune to meet ; and his
knowledge of several of the languages spoken by the tribes in
the neighbourhood of the colony has been of the greatest service
to the Government during the long period of fifty years that he
has lived and enjoyed good health at Sierra Leone.

No. 1. Hausa woman. The Hausa country is situated be-
tween Bornu and the Niger. At Sierra Leone the Hausa people
shew a preference for agriculture, but some of them are exten-
sively engaged in mercantile pursuits.

No. 2 represents a Mandingo trader, from Foota Jallon, in his
rain hat and dress. The Mandingoes profess Mahommedanism,
but strictly speaking Islamism and Fetishism are blended ; for,
while prayers are scrupulously offered five times a day in the
name of the Prophet, a profusion of gris-gris are at the same
time worn about their persons. Major Laing tells us that about
one hundred years ago they emigrated from their own soil, and
settled first on the countries surrounding the Gambia ; but as
they are migratory in their habits, detached parties found their
way northward and southward, so that they are to be found tra-
versing Africa for the purposes of trade or war from Tangiers
to Cape Mesurada. The Mandingoes are very shrewd. Their
appearance is engaging, their features regular and open, their
persons well-formed and comely.

The education of their children consists in learning to read
and write a few passages of the Koran, and to recite a few
prayers. They are under the care of the priest, or Maraboo, and
perform menial offices for him about three or four years, the parents
making him presents from time to time. Park states that when
a boy has completed his education, and has passed his last exa-
mination, the parents must redeem him from the Maraboo with
a slave, or the price of a slave, otherwise he continues in servi-
tude to his master until able to redeem himself

At Sierra Leone, the Mandingoes, Foulahs and other races
smelt the magnetic iron ore so largely distributed over the sur-
face of the soil, or at small depths beneath it. The ore is

350 R. Claeke — The Inhabitants of Sierra Leone.

placed upon a layer of charcoal in a hole in the ground, more
charcoal being then heaped over it when it is lighted. A bellows
of simple construction is used to fan the flame and melt the
metal. It consists of a couple of calabashes, perforated at the
top, covered with goat or calf skin, and connected together by
two pipes of bamboo inserted in their sides, another single straight
bamboo being fixed to serve as the nozzle. In working the bel-
lows, the skin is grasped in each hand, and by alternately raising
and sharply depressing it down upon the calabash, the air is forced
through the tube at the side, and a uniform current is maintained.

By the Mahommedan law, a man may have four wives, and as
many concubines as he may be able to maintain. Many of the
liberated Africans, especially the Akoos, have embraced Islamism
through the proselytizing zeal of the Mandingoes and the
Poulahs.

The Mandingo country is about 700 miles in the interior,
watered by numerous feeders of the Niger, and situated between
the 10th and 14th parallels, near the source of the river Gambia,
and extending to the banks of the Niger.

No. 3. Young Foulah man, as seen about the streets of Freetown.
They chiefly occupy the territory of Foota Jallon, a country of
Senegambia, extending about three hundred and fifty miles from
east to west, and two hundred from north to south, having for
its capitals Laby and Tembo, and are by some supposed to be
descended either from the Arabs or ancient Numidians. The
government partakes more of the nature of a republic than a
monarchy, as the king or almamy cannot decide upon any thing
without the consent of the chiefs of Sembo, Laby, and Tembo.
Like all the African races at Sierra Leone, they are at great
pains to preserve their teeth white, by rubbing them with a twig
of the guava, or tamarind trees, which is an admirable substi-
tute for a brush.

The Foulahs breed much cattle, tending them with considerable
skill. One of their many superstitions is remarkable. They en-
tertain the notion that if any one boils the sweet milk purchased
from them, the calves will run dry ; and to a person who has
done so they will sell no more milk.

Winterbottom says " their industry in agriculture and grazing
is everywhere remarkable. They plant tobacco near their houses,
and open tracts for cotton, which they fence in. They grow
rice, maize, and the larger and lesser Guinea corn. The flour is
not made into bread, but is used with milk, and in the composi-
tion of kous-kous.^" *

They also prepare leather in a superior manner, making it
supple, and giving it substance, so as to resemble Eussian,
Barks, suitable for tanning, abound in the woods. They dye the

R^ 2.

M'^'! CLARK, DEL.

M"^ MACHIE, L/TH.

R. Olaeke — The Inhabitants of Sierra Leone. 351

leather of various colours, but chiefly red and black. Sandals
bossed, ornamented pouches, and horse trappings, are decorated
elaborately, by pressure or puncture.

Their religious opinions and ceremonies are similar to those of
the Mussulman Mandingoes.

No. 4. Portrait of a young Serrakoolet woman. The Serra-
koolets, like the Mandingo and Foulah races, are a migratory
people. They profess Mahommedanism ; and, like the Mandin-
goes, engraft upon it Fetishism. They come to Sierra Leone
from the neighbourhood of Bonda Senegambia.

No. • 5. Portrait of a Serakoolet woman, showing the elaborate
head-dress, necklaces of beads, anklets, armlets, etc. Like all
African females, they are extremely fond of amber, coral, and
glass beads, which they wear in profusion on the head, neck,
arms, waist, and ankles. The coral is not in beads, but in pieces
about the thickness of the stem of a common tobacco pipe. The
Serakoolet and Foulah women, in features, approach nearer to the
inhabitants of Europe than any of the other tribes of West Africa.

No. 6. Native of the Moco country, which is situated near the
Gaboon. Their heads are curiously formed, the parietal pro-
tuberances are very prominent ; this bulging outwards gives a
marked breadth to the head, which strikes the most cursory
observer. They do not discover much enterprise at Sierra Leone,
but generally they are well conducted, and make good domestic
servants and soldiers.

No. 7. Profile of the late Fourih Bundih, a Mahommedan, and
one of the headmen of the Rokelle district, in the Timmanee country.
He lived at Sumrah, one of the principalities into which the
Timmanee country is divided, and was extensively engaged in
business, supplying some of the merchants of the colony with teak
timber, and the dye camwood — both being found of the finest
quality in the EokeUe district.

No. 8. Pentih Maligih, one of the headmen of the country
watered by the river Caramanca, in the Sherboro country, com-
mencing at the Eibbie or Dibble river, on the north, and ending
at the sea bar on the south, runs east to the Kussohs. It is
bounded on the south by the Boom river. There are several
petty states under chiefs or kings. The government has been
long in an unsettled state, from the feuds of the chiefs ; but as a
part of Sherboro has been added to the Sierra Leone and Libe-
rian territories, an end will be put to their broils and turbulence.
The Sherboros are a lively, quick-tempered people, and under a
settled government wiU become industrious and thriving. Large
quantities of red rice, teak timber, ivory, camwood, benni seed,
barwood, and poultry are annually shipped from the Sherboro
country.

352 ■ R Claeke — The Inhabitants of 8ierr a Leone.

No. 9, Cattle dealer, a native of tlie Soosoo country, which is
situated to the north-east of Sierra Leone, extending from the
river Kissee Kissee, beyond the Eio Pongos, nearly as far as the
Eio Nunez ; but they have been dispossessed of large tracts of
country by the Mandingoes. Many of .the Soosoos are Pagans ;
but a large number have accepted the doctrine of the Prophet.
The Soosoo language is pleasing, soft, and musical; and hence
it has been termed the Italian of West Africa. The Soosoos
shave when young, but when the hair becomes grey the beard is
allowed to grow, as with them a grey Beard denotes wisdom, as
was the case with the man from whom the drawing was • made.
Coffee is much grown in the neighbourhood of the Pongas.

No. 10. A Mandingo chief from the neighbourhood of the
Scarcies rivers, in Bullom. A considerable trade is carried on
with the colony, from the great and little Scarcies rivers, in
ground nuts, camwood, ivory, ox hides and horns, goat and
leopard skins, etc. Here, the lofty meliaceous tree, which pro-
duces the cola fruit so much valued by the Africans on this
part of the coast, is grown in considerable quantity. The seed,
which is about the size of a chestnut, is contained in a mul-
tilocular capsule, containing six or eight colas. They are covered
with an outer thick tough rind, and an inner white rind ; and on
this being removed, it divides into two parts. Colas are either of
a purple or whitish colour. They are much chewed by nearly all
classes of blacks. When chewed, they redden the saliva, and give
to water drunk after them a pleasant sweet taste. They are
bitter and astringent, and by the natives are considered an excel-
lent tonic. The natives of Sierra Leone and adjoining countries
present to each other colas as tokens of their friendship, and to
guests on their arrival and departure. Colas are largely imported
to Sierra Leone from the Gambia,

No. 11. Angola lad. The kingdom of Angola is situated on
the south-west coast. Apparently, they are not an ambitious
race, judging at least from their position at Sierra Leone ; but
they are industrious, and are much esteemed as soldiers.

No. 12. A native of Hausa. The subject of this drawing was
a country doctor. He was with difl&culty persuaded to allow the
drawing to be made, but became greatly alarmed lest some evil
should befal him for having consented to sit for his likeness, and
in the greatest agitation he rose up and left abruptly, the mass
of gris-gris encircling his head, neck, and arms being of no avail
in supporting his courage against fears of the " evil eye.'^ The
lines upon the face and arms represent the tribal marks.

No. 13. Native of Ebghwa tribe, a district of the Yarriba
country, called Akoos, at Sierra Leone. Many of the Akoos have
assumed the garb and religion of Mahomet. They believe, like

p."- 3,

ii^^CLARH. DEL

Mfs M/>C>flEj UTH.

P> 4.

M"^ CLAffK, D£i.

Mi^s MACK/Ej UTH.

R Claeke — The Inhabitants of Sierra Leone. 853

most Africans, in incantations and charms, using " lassymanny."
The lass3nnanny charm consists in writing Ai^abic upon a table
with an infusion or ink obtained from the bark of a tree, texts
from the Scriptures or Koran, which is then washed off and
bottled. They wash themselves with it before asking favours,
etc. Even the educated Creoles, of both sexes, have great faith in
the virtue of charms ; and the possession of a " sebeh " from the
Mahommedan priests is considered serviceable in times of diffi-
culty and danger. Thieves arm themselves with it to escape
detection, and prisoners at the bar put it into their mouths when
defending themselves. Many of the Akoos begin life, like other
liberated Africans, as domestic servants : and it requires firmness
and tact to manage them, because they are apt to tire of serv-
ing one master for any length of time, and because they like to
have a run among their friends. In these circumstances it is
best to let them go, otherwise they sulk and become troublesome.

No. 14. Ashantee. The individual who is here represented was
formerly an officer in the army of the present king of the kingdom
of Ashantee, Quacoe Duah. He had incurred his majesty's dis-
pleasure ; and as he knew he would be decapitated if taken, he fled
to Cape Coast Castle for protection, and from thence was sent by
Colonel Hill to Sierra Leone, to be out of the king's reach.

No. ] 5. Native of the Kakundah country, eastern bank of the
Niger. Their faces are disfigured by raised cicatrices, extending
from the temples to the base of the lower jaw. In some these
cicatrices, which are the tribal marks, are at their middle or
broadest part of the thickness of the little finger. These people
are not numerous at Sierra Leone.

No. 1 6. The late Ali Karli of Port Lokkoh, a Mahommedan
Timmanee chief of the Barrang family, elected Ali Karli in 1841,
in presence of the late Sir John Jeremie. Port Lokkoh is a town
in the Timmanee country, situated at the source of a river of that
name 60 miles distant from Freetown. The government is
elective and patriarchal. The title of Ali Karli never becomes
extinct, but is always assumed by the chief upon his election.
The Church Missionary Society in J 842 established a mission
at Port Lokkoh, but with little success, because the population
is Mahommedan, among whom Christianity has hitherto made
no impression.

The Timmanees are a warlike race of people, middle sized,
muscular and well formed. The language is full of harsh gut-
tural sounds ; many words beginning with the syllable Ng.
Iron is smelted by them ; agricultural and other implements
being manufactured from the surface iron found abundantly in
the country. Instead of a metallic currency they barter an indefi-
nite quantity of goods, varying in value. A bar of tobacco may

A A

354 R Clarke — The Inhabitants of Sierra Leone.

consist of 30 or 40 leaves ; of soap, 2 or 3 lbs. ; of rum, a bottle ;
of blue baft, 2 or 3 yards, etc.

The Timmanees make " Sataka," or lamentation for the dead,
for many days, at which drumming, firing of musketry, and
masquerading is practised for several successive days, rum and
palm wine being freely drunk on these occasions. " Sataka " is
an Arabic term denoting a sacrifice.

Fetishism is the religion of the country and a belief in witch-
craft, which affects all the West African tribes, assuming a variety
of features in each. The men are expert boatmen.

Gum, copal, cotton, senna, caoutchouc, and vanilla, etc., are some
of the products of this fertile land, which under a strong govern-
ment might be cultivated to a great extent.

No. 17. Mandingo, showing the dress and method of arrang-
ing the hair in tufts adopted by some of them.

No. 18. A native of Adsha, called Popo by foreigners. The
Adsha country adjoins Lagos. They are a numerous and thriving
race at Sierra Leone, The Popo national tribal marks are, a line
drawn from the angle of the eyebrows with raised cicatrices
about one inch in length, and stained of a blue colour ; on the
left cheek six horizontal lines similarly stained. On the right
cheek there are eleven short cicatrices below the eye, with three
from the angle of the mouth to below the lower lip. I may here
state that I have observed that the breasts of the male negroes
are sometimes as much developed as in women.*

No. 1 9. Native of the Bornu country, which is situated on
the southern banks of the lake Tchad. They are apparently an
agricultural people, and are not numerous at Sierra Leone.

No. 20. Peka or Phica woman. Phica is situated south-west
of the kingdom of Bornu. The woman from whom the drawing
was made was much marked with long thin superficial lines
crossing one another upon the forehead, face, arms, and upper
part of the body. There are few persons of this race, in the
colony. Judging from the habits of this race I apprehend that
they are a pastoral and agricultural people.

No. 21. Krooman. The Kroo country is situated on the
grain coast. They occupy five towns upon the coast at different
places between the rivers Cestros and the Grand Cestros ; to the
northward of that the Bassa people lie intermixed with the Fish
Kroos ; which latter occupy all the coast to the southward of the
Grand Cestros.

The Kroos are a remarkably fine race of men, rather above
the middle stature, very muscular, and ample chested ; they are

* Manners and Customs of the Liberated Africans, p. 49.

p."- 5.

/(/■'J Cl/l/f/C, DBL .

M"^ M/ICf(i£. llTfJ.

E. Claeke — The Inhabitants of Sierra Leone. 855

models of symmetry. Their features are pleasing and their
address manly and independent. They differ essentially from the
other negro races in their abhorrence of the slave trade ; but
the work in the slave factories is chiefly done by Fish Kroos.
They are strongly wedded to their own customs, few of them
becoming Christians. Their worship, which they call Juju, is
made, they state, to make " God glad very much, and do Krooman
good." Their women are not allowed to eat any part of the
sacrificial oflfering. Indeed, they keep the women at a distance
when they make Juju ; because they consider no good would
come if they were present.

Voyaging to Sierra Leone in frail canoes, they return to their
country when they have acquired sufficient property to purchase
a wife, when they " sit down," as they phrase it. But they soon
return to the colony, remaining there until they have accumulated
enough goods to enable them to purchase as many wives as will
support them without doing any hard work themselves. In the
suburb of the city which they inhabit, they appear to take pleasure
in hoisting flags, generally the British ensign, at their doors, and
although this is also done by other tribes, yet they are nowhere
so much seen as in a Kroo town.

When a Krooman returns to his country, he is obliged to make
large presents to the old men of the town. If this is not done,
or if suspected of concealing his wealth, he is summoned to a
palaver, and if convicted or declared guilty, he is suspended over
a fire of green pepper until nearly suffocated with the smoke.
This cruel ordeal soon compels the sufferer to yield up his money
or goods, and to obey all directions.

Their language is guttural. Their native names are discarded
for such funny appellations as Pryingpan, Pease Soup, Bottle of
Brandy, Duke of Wellington, etc.

In connexion with these people, I may state that when sworn
in court, a small quantity of salt is presented to the witness. Of
this he picks up a minute portion on the tip of his finger, and
pointing to heaven, stoops down, looks fixedly on the floor,
mixes the salt with the dust, and then touches the imprecatory
mixture with his tongue. The usual oath is nevertheless always
administered. The Kroo national mark is a black stripe, extend-
ing from the forehead along the ridge of the nose. At the
outer angle of each eye are similar short horizontal lines. The
body is often tattooed with figures of stars, and the figure of an
anchor is sometimes traced upon their arms, in imitation of the
English seamen with whom they associate.

Among the Kroos and liberated Africans, there are a good
many adroit and bold thieves. When they proceed on a
thieving expedition, they grease the body, and having no other

A A 2

35.6 R Claeke — The Inhabitants of Sierra Leone.

covering than a loin cloth they readily slip through the fingers
of any one laying hands upon them. The time they select to
commit robberies is more especially during the fall of heavy
rains, when their entrance into a house may be effected with the
least danger of detection.

No. 22. The late chief Candibar Caulker, of the Sherboro
country. He supplied large quantities of teak timber to the
merchants of Sierra Leone in exchange for British goods.

No. 23. Akoo, a native of Yobah. The cuts upon the cheeks
and forehead are tribal marks.

No. 23. Native of Mandara, which country is situated south
of Bornu. Few Mandaras are brought as slaves to Sierra Leone.

No. 24. Mandingo trader.

No. 25. Ifeh woman. The Ifeh country is a principality of
the Yarriba, Uribah, or Yobah country. At Sierra Leone they
are known under the name of Akoos. Tribal marks are three
short, nearly vertical, cuts, with irregular cross cuts drawn from
them, in the middle of the cheek, with two small from upper
bar, and from middle oblique bar with lines, and three oblique
short cuts, also on the cheek, near the ear. In the colony, these
people are numerous, industrious, and thriving.

No. 26. Native of Calabar, or Calaba, in the Bight of Benin.
In the colony few of these people, who are numerous, have
attained a social position. Many of them chip their front teeth
to a point. The individual represented was the first person
operated upon in West Africa while under the influence of chlo-
roform. In 1848 I removed his left arm.

No. 27. A native of the kingdom of Hausa. The individual
represented had prospered, as a merchant and agriculturalist. He
was, like most of his countrymen, a pleasant mannered and in-
telligent man. The Hausas are marked by various lines on the
face. There are not very many of this race in the colony.

No. 28. A native of the Eboe country, which is situated upon
the eastern bank of the river Niger. The individual represented
is one of those Eboes called " Ebretchies," on account of the
scalping process to which they are subjected in their youth.
The forehead is deeply scarred, whilst small flaps of skin are
reflected over, and project from the root of the nose and corners
of the eyebrows, resembling, to some extent, the wattles of the
domestic turkey. The fortunate individuals amongst the Eboes
who survive this barbarous operation, it appears, enjoy amongst
their countrymen rank and station. The Eboes are a numerous
and thriving people at Sierra Leone, and several of them are
wealthy and influential.

No. 29. Congo woman. The Congo country is situated on the
south-west coast.

PL 6.

M"-: CLARK, OEL.

M/^^ MACKIE, LITH.

P^ 7.

:y^^^ ^ 34-

M^S CLARK. OEl .

■'MACKIE, ilTH.

E. Claeke — The Inhabitants of 8ierra Leone. 357

Many years ago the CoDgoes brought with them the seeds of
the Bang or Indian hemp, which they planted at Sierra Leone.
In 1852 I sent Sir William Hooker a specimen of the flowers and
leaves, which they smoke, under the general name of " diamba,"
but they distinguish the dried flowers by the term " maconie ;"
the leaflets as makiah. A description of " diamba" may be found
in the January number of Hooker's Journal of Botany, for 1851 .
They are much addicted to smoking diamba, but many of the
other Africans at Sierra Leone likewise indulge in it.

The Congoes are industrious, but not ambitious. They make
good soldiers and domestic servants.

No. SO. Liberated African, a native of the " Eyeo" country,
which is situated to the east of Yobah and Ifeh. They are known
at Sierra Leone as "Akoos."

No. 3L Timmanee woman. Many of them are elegantly
formed, with pleasing and intelligent features.

No. 82. Kussoh. The Kussoh country is situated to the east
and north-east of the Vye nation. They are a turbulent people,
always at war amongst themselves, and against their neighbours,
the Timmanees. At Sierra Leone they become good and in-
dustrious citizens.

No. 33. Jolofi" girl, dressed for a marriage feast, and wearing
upon her person upwards of £200 worth of gold jewellery. The
Jolofis occupy a tract of country extending from the northern
bank of the Gambia to the southern bank of the Senegal. These
people are called Yalofis, Yoloff", and Wolofis. Distinction of
caste is observed among the Joloffs, as strictly as among the
Hindoos.

No. 34. Yelly, or Jellimen, Mandingoes, from Foota Jallon.
The Yellih, or Jellimen, are much esteemed amongst the Man-
dingoes and Foulahs. The man from whom the drawing was
taken, it will be observed, wears a horn upon his forehead.
Horns so placed were likewise worn by men of distinction
amongst the Jews, for the Psalmist sings of having his horn
exalted above his enemies. Their profession is hereditary, and
they enjoy a position very similar to the ancient bards and
minstrels of Europe. Generally they are men gifted with great
ability, and quick discernment of character, and are shrewd
observers of the ways and doings of mankind. These men, as
a class, are well educated, and on occasions of difficulty are in-
variably consulted by the chiefs and people of their country.
Their voices are raised in all public assemblies of the people,
when their eloquence is poured forth in the most vigorous
and fascinating language, to rouse the people to deeds of glory
and renown. One of these men, Mahomadoo Yelly, distin-
guished himself at Sierra Leone, in 1853-54, by the intel-

358 R Clarke — The Inhabitants of Sierra Leone.

ligence he displayed in detecting the aiders and abettors of
slavery at Sierra Leone. The Foulahs, Mandingoes, and Serra-
Koolets had long been suspected of annually kidnapping and
selling liberated Africans into slavery. This system they ma-
naged so adroitly that it remained undetected until Governor
Kennedy assumed the government, at the end of 1852, when he
unveiled the mystery which had been so successfully concealed
from his predecessors in office. It was then found that liberated
Africans, rescued themselves from slavery, assisted these strangers
to sell their brethren into bondage.

No. 35. Bambarra boy. Bambarra is situated on the upper
course of the Niger, to the east of Galam. They are a very
intelligent people, but comparatively few of them are brought to
Sierra Leone as slaves. A minute, I believe the minutest-known
cereal, called fundi, or fundungii, is cultivated by industrious
individuals among them, and also by the Soosoo, Foulah, Bassa,
and Joloff nations, by whom it is called the hungry rice. It is
about the size of mignonette. The ear consists of two conjugate
spikes, the grain being arranged on the outer edge of each spike,
and alternated ; they are attached by a peduncle to the husk ; the
epicarp, or outer membrane, is rugous. The grain is trodden out,
as described in Holy writ ; after which it is either parched or dried
in the sun, to allow the chaff to be more easily removed. During
the process of pounding it in large mortars, it is winnowed with
a kind of cane fanner on mats. It is prepared as food in the
same way that Guinea corn, is treated, being made into kous-
kous. Fundi was submitted by me to the Linnean Society of
London, in November 1842, and its botanical characters may he
found in its Transactions, as minutely described by my friend
Mr. Kippist, after whom it has been named.

No. 36. Domestic slave. Gold Coast. These people are called
"Donkoes," and the majority of them are brought into the pro-
tected territory by the Ashantees, from countries beyond that
kingdom. They are a hardy, enduring race, and where their good
qualities have room to expand, they are found to be a brave and
trustworthy people. The soldiers of the Gold Coast Artillery
corps were chiefly composed of Donkoes runaway slaves, but dis-
cipline, and their elevation from serfs to freemen, soon enabled
them to appreciate their improved position. When claimed by
their owners, a circumstance which is constantly occurring, an
arrangement was made to indemnify them, and redeem the slave,
by the payment of £8 sterling; that sum being deducted, by
instalments, from the man's pay. Their services during the
Crobboe revolt, in 1858, and disturbance in the Abra district, in
1859, showed their value as soldiers ; and in my opinion, although
their introduction in the first instance is a very great evil, yet it

P^ 8.

36

38

MI'S CLARK. DEL

M"J MA OKIE, LITH.

R Clarke — The Inhabitants of Sierra Leone. 859

has carried in its train mncli good ; because their cohabitation
with the Pantee women has tended to infuse courage into that
rather timid race of people.

As justly stated by Sir B. 0. C Pine, the whole of the social
fabric on the Gold Coast, "woof and warp,"' is slavery. But in a
country where slavery pervades society, from the heir of a chiefdom
to the meanest servant, and where every man has from time imme-
morial looked upon his children and slaves as the most valuable
property he possesses, it is impossible to abstain from questions
between master aifd slave, and disputed rights of slaves ; inas-
much as claims are frequently set up by individuals to whole
families, without any foundation ; and if these were not examined
and determined, the subjects would inevitably be reduced to
slavery, whenever a claimant had the power to enforce it. The
British magistrate, while rigidly abstaining from interfering to
enforce slavery, always endeavours to mitigate, as far as possible,
the evils inherent in the system, taking care not to violate the
long established laws and usages of the country. Power has been
always assumed to emancipate slaves found to have been treated
cruelly ; and this power seems to be acquiesced in by the natives,
although in many cases submitted to by them with great reluct-
ance. It is the principal means we possess of checking and
ameliorating the evils of domestic slavery. Upon the Gold Coast
the relations of master and slave are much the same as we read
of in the Old Testament ; for they are treated as members of the
family, especially in the rural districts.* Slaves, by their in-
dustry, frequently accumulate considerable property, and become
the possessors of land and slaves; over whom, although the
master claims rights of very indefinite extent, yet of which
custom prevents him from wantonly or to an unreasonable extent
depriving them ; and by means of which, in the event of dis-
agreement with their master, slaves not unfrequently redeem
themselves, by purchasing their freedom. But in the seaboard
towns of the Gold Coast, slaves are in a very different position
from those in the rural districts, a wide gulf separating them
from their educated masters. The consequence is, a want of
sympathy between the owner and slave, dissatisfaction on both
sides, and an impatience and restless desire on the part of the
latter to escape from the galling yoke of bondsmen.

No, S7. Olago Patoo, a Crobboe chief Crobboe is a district
of the Gold Coast, in its leeward division, on the river
Volta. It occupies the inland region about sixty miles

* Eemarks on the Topography of the Gold Coast, by R. Clarke, Esq.,
read before the Epidemiological Society, 7th May, 1860. See Transactions,
vol. i, part i, p. 76.

360 R Clakke — The Inhabitants of Sierra Leone.

from Accra, and has a population of upwards of 16,000 souls.
The Crobboes speak a dialect of the Accra language known as
the Adempi tongue. They are a brave race of people, and have
made their hills almost inaccessible fortresses, which have often
baffled the attacks of the Ashantees. The country is fertile,
and the palm tree (dais Guineaensis) is very much cultivated.
Agriculture is their chief occupation, and being industrious a
large quantity of palm oil is made ; nearly all the Palm oil sent
to the seaboard villages of Pram Pram and Ningo being brought
from Orobboe. It is carried there by the women on their heads,
in earthenware pots containing a few gallons, and sold in ex-
change for Manchester and Birmingham goods.

The palm tree does not bear the nuts until it is eight or nine
years old, but sometimes they do not bear until the twelfth year.
The nuts grow from the top and near the branches of the tree,
and are supported on short thick stems about three inches from
the roots, which become spongy and more thick, branching out
into prickles, and at their roots are the nuts ; the roots of these
prickles are much broader than at the points, which serve to
prevent the nuts from falling off when ripe. One of these
clusters contains from 100 to 200 nuts. They are taken from
the tree about the beginning of the rains — May. Kemoved from
the spongy body, they are cleaned, and after being exposed some
time to the sun, are bruised in pits with long pointed poles or
pestles until all the external fibrous covering is separated from
the nuts. After washing the fibrous covering in cold water, the
whole is put into earthenware boilers, built into and ranged
upon country made clay furnaces, constant heat being supplied
until all the oil is extracted. It is removed by skimming, and
preserved in large wooden troughs hewn out of the trunk of
the wild cotton tree ; these receivers being fitted with covers of
the same material to keep the oil free of impurities. Thanks
to the energy and enterprise of my friend Mr. Charles Hed-
dle, of Sierra Leone, the palm nut stones, which were formerly
wasted, or only used by the natives to imbed in the clay
flooring of their huts, have become a valuable export, the kernel
yielding 53 per cent of fatty matter more than the pericarp.

Fetishism holds almost indisputable sway over the minds of
the people. Trials by decoctions of the melley, or " saucy wood
tree," or some poisonous berries, are practised in cases where
women or men are accused of adultery. The priest having
administered the oath of imprecation, the accused swallows a
small portion of food, and taking the calabash of red water in
his hand, prays that its contents may prove fatal to her, if she
does not tell the truth. Should the food she has swallowed be
ejected from the stomach her innocence is at once established ;

R Clabke — The Inhabitants of Sierra Leone. 361

but if she dies, her guilt is considered proved. Vomiting, purg-
ing, succeeded by collapse, the forerunners of death, are not un-
frequently the consequences of drinking the red water.

Crobboe is divided into two clanships : the eastern, ruled by
Odonko Ossoo ; the western, under Olego Patoo. In 1 858, the
Crobboes rebelled against the Gold Coast government. After
overcoming the difl&culties inseparable from attacking the Crobboes
in their almost inaccessible fortresses, an engagement was fought,
without our troops, 100 men supported by 6000 allies obtaining
any advantage. An attack was afterwards made by the Aquas-
sims, supported by rockets and shell, on Olago Patoo's strongest
fortress, but they were repelled by enormous stones hurled from
above. At length the enemy capitulated, being crowded together
on the hills without food. Indeed Tanno, the captain who had
caused all the mischief, soon appeared with Odonko Osoo and
surrendered himself, and Olego Patoo followed his example. The
captains of each chief came, to the number of sixteen, and laid
at the governor's feet, two or three guns in token of submission.

Olago Patoo was deposed from his stool and fined about £4,000
in cowries, and to remain in custody until the fine was paid.
Odonko Osoo was held responsible for the payment of £3,500,
or about that sum, in cowries.

A remarkable difierence exists in the general features of the
windward and leeward divisions of the Gold Coast, in that by far
the greater extent of the former is either clothed with wood or
jungle, whereas tracts of the latter (which includes a part of the
Winnebah or Agoonah district in the windward division) consist
of vast plains beautifully interspersed with trees and shrubs, car-
peted with grass, and adorned with a variety of flowers. Indeed,
the country about "Winnebah cannot be exceeded in beauty or
variety, presenting the most perfect resemblance to a domain laid
out with the utmost art ; the elegant clumps of trees which adorn
it giving a park-like appearance to the surrounding country. The
country about Accra, Christianborgh Castle, and especially ex-
tending northwards of Pram Pram and Ningo, is pastoral and
luxuriant to a high degree. The air in this open and champaigne
country is likewise cooler and more invigorating to Europeans
than in the windward division, which is extensively wooded.
Game is also abundant, hares, deer, antelopes, guinea fowl, and
bustard stocking it in great numbers. The windward division,
on the contrary, is covered to a great extent with tracts of mag-
nificent forest trees and copse, rendered almost impenetrable
by masses of underwood and plants (as the acacia) with prickles
which grow between the trees and interlace them together.
Lianas coil around and festoon many of the trees, frequently
crossing one another like network, winding themselves in all

S62 R Olaeke — The Inhabitants of Sierra Leone.

directions. These fibrous plants vary in thickness from a thin
cord to that of a cable ; climbing to the summits of the trees, they
stretch to those adjacent, or depending from them swing idly in
the wind, the tortuous pathway being alone trodden by the foot
of man. Even the charming glades which open up the forests at
several points, relieving and delighting the eye, tired with the
wearisome sameness of the route, are uninhabited ; but many of
the villages and hamlets in the rural districts are built in the
midst of the forests, sufficient land being cultivated around them
to meet the wants of the people. Among the beasts of prey,
leopards are numerous and daring. The paticoo or hyena is also
very common. A large rat, known in India as the bandicoot, is
numerous and destructive to the ground-nut crops ; and the
acranjee or chiropedes, about the size of a guineapig, abounds,
its flesh being greatly esteemed by the natives. Among the
venomous snakes, the cerastes or . horned snake may be noted.
Here I may be allowed to relate the singular treatment adopted
by the Ashantees to cure snake-bites. It occurred while I was .
on the Grold Coast, A young Ashantee slave, whilst in the act of
moving a heavy package, was bitten by a cerastes in the fore-
arm. His countrymen, who were with him at the time, imme-
diately applied ligatures both above and below the wound, and
also freely scarified it with a razor, and rubbed a lime and applied
powdered leaves over it, while others of them promptly killed
the snake, and, having extracted both the poison sacs, they mixed
the venom with trade rum and lime-juice, and caused him to
drink the mixture. Soon after he had taken the draught he
vomited plentifully. There was very little swelling, and in a few
days he was able to return to his avocations. The treatment
adopted by the Ashantees, in the case just described, resembles
the homoeopathic treatment as expressed in the axiom "similia
similibus curantur".

No. 38. Mahomadoo Boundoh, a powerful chief of the Rokelle
country, in which the river of that name rises. He professes
Islamism, and is a warrior of renown in his own country and at
Sierra Leone. In 1836 and early part of 1837, he had been
fighting the forces of his neighbour Soosih Bettih, the object of
both being to secure as many slaves as possible. "With the view
of arranging their differences, the governor went to Magbelly, a
town in the Eokelle country, to meet the great chiefs in council.
Meantime, Soosih Bettih was poisoned, and nothing more re-
mained for the governor to do than to compliment the chiefs by
presenting them with guns, powder, tobacco, rum, and Manchester
goods. The chiefs, wishing in return to mark their sense of the
governor's condescension, invested him with the title of "Le
Ambassie", and conferred upon two of the officers who accom-

R Claekb — The Inhabitants of Sierra Leone. 363

panied him the title of "Knights of the Palm and Alligator".
These titles will be found registered in the Herald's Office.

No. 39. A native of Tapiiah or Nufe, a country situated on
the eastern bank of the river Niger about Rabba. There are not
many Nufes in the colony. The Nufes dance to the rattling of
pebbles or seeds enclosed in calabashes.

No. 40. King Ottoo Abeboo, of the Abra district, Gold
Coast. He resides at Abba Krampa, a town some twenty miles
from Cape Coast Castle. He is a pure Fantee, and is a man of
mild manners, but apparently wanting in firmness of character.
In stature he is an Anak, being at least six feet four inches.

Some of the tribes of the Cold Coast weave narrow country
cloths, while baskets and mats are ingeniously made by others ;
and they greatly excel in gold work, fashioning elegant and
beautifully designed ornaments of that metal. There are gold
mines in several parts of the country, as Akim, Dinkerra, Tueful,
and Wassaw. It is likewise found in the beds of rivers, and in
the sands on the sea-shore.*

No. 41. Nyamban, Mozambique, from the eastern coast be-
tween about latitude 1 0° and the Cape colony. The skin of the
forehead in a line with the nose, and along the ridge of the nose, is
beaded by raised separate scars. The front teeth are filed to a point.
They are not numerous at Sierra Leone, and I am not aware of
any of this tribe having attained social rank in tlie colony. As
soldiers and cooks, the Nyambani are not excelled by any of the
other tribes.

N.jB. To avoid misconception, it should be explained that the
heads are not all drawn upon the same scale, because they were
drawn singly and at various times. Moreover, the accessories of
the figure and dress, as in the originals, would have greatly aided
in illustrating the characteristic features of the races represented.

In my remarks upon the diseases to which the negroes are sub-
ject, I should have said that small-pox, not yellow fever, is the
epidemic from which they suffer.

* Vide Medical Reports of H.M. Colonial Possessions (Gold Coast) for
1858, by Robert Clarke.